


Healing the Smile

by KolieathRenders



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Characters may not be depicted properly and so I apologize, Depression, Fluff, Highschool AU, I promise there is a happy ending pls no take my kneecaps, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide Attempt, dont trust me, idk how to tag someone help me, maybe not idk yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24722746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KolieathRenders/pseuds/KolieathRenders
Summary: He made a mistake, and so he promised himself he wouldn't do it again. But these people are different it seems. Right?"Let me help you, Doc. Let me heal your broken heart. I want to see you smile for real."(Sorry I don't know how to do summaries well... basically there is a lot of sadness but happy moments do exist.)
Relationships: Iskall/Stress, JoeHills/ZombieCleo, Mumbo Jumbo/Grian, RenDog/Docm77
Comments: 48
Kudos: 83





	1. Prologue

Why are you doing this to me?  
I didn't do anything to you… did I? 

I just wanted to get along.  
What did I do to you to deserve this?  
You say this is fun. 

I deserve this, all of this pain.  
The years of pain you delivered, I deserve.  
Just because I am not like you, just because I am different. 

Your words hurt me and scar my brain.  
Your fists hit me and bruise my face.  
Your feet kick me and I can’t move no more. 

My existence wastes food so I avoid eating.  
My existence doesn’t deserve hydration so I avoid drinking.  
I am not having fun. 

Now, I am moving.  
My mother got a better job and now we are moving.  
A new place, new school, new people!

However, I have learned my lesson.  
No friends and never let them know that you are different. 

My wrists hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh... I hope this was good. Prologues are not my forte.


	2. Chapter 1

A boy sat in the corner of his room on top of his bed, hugging his pillow as he cried softly. He tried his best to muffle the sounds of his sobs and tried to stay alert in case any of his family members were in a nearby distance. They were moving to a new city and everything was almost ready. Now he had to just finish unpacking the last box. But he stayed at his bed, staring at the box with tears in his eyes.

The box was basically empty, but he had stopped when he came across his old school’s uniform. It was the last object in the box, the only substance he had to remind him of the former school. He did not want to think of that school though. Slowly getting off the bed, he swiftly grabs the uniform and shoves it to the back floor of his closet, placing a box on top of it that contains old forgotten toys he played with as a child. Now there is no reason to ever see it again unless he moves again, which is unlikely.

The boy sighs in relief, finally done. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looks at the mirror to see if he looks normal. Staring back at him was a 16 year old boy with ruffled up short dark chocolate brown hair wearing a green hoodie with black sweatpants. His right eye was dark brown and his left stood a robotic red eye. Almost half of his left side of his face was robotic and his right arm was also a mechanic arm.

He closes his eyes, remembering the incident. He was walking into the cafe to “work” with some people from school for their group project. Though since they also bullied him, he had to do everything and if he complained, just another beating he would get. They were waiting outside the building and it seemed that at once, they all spotted him. Some looked at him with disgust. Some had blank expressions. One grinned and said, “Doc! I thought you would have skipped. Good thing my warning got to you.”

“Of course he didn’t. He can’t be that stupid, otherwise how will he do this project for us?” Another retorted, still looking at him in disgust.

Doc simply nodded, looking at the ground. Once he got to where the rest of the group was, he looked up and noticed everyone running away. Turning around, there he saw a car about to crash into him. Then he can only remember bits and pieces. Being in a hospital, pain, his parents yelling at someone, pain, but mostly nothingness. It felt great to feel nothing. But soon, he felt again.

When he woke up, he remembers feeling confused, feeling weird. Something seemed off, incredibly off. And there it was, his robotic parts that made him a cyborg basically was introduced to him. It was not entirely surprising since this new kind of technology was introduced a few years ago and his father worked in that same industry, but he never thought that he would accompany the mechanics himself.

It was a relief that his parents were rich and could afford the hospital bill and mechanics easily. It was a relief that his dad was a mechanic genius and Doc was able to inherit some of the mechanic information at a young age. It was a relief that his father wanted him to learn how to make the mechanics himself since if there was ever a problem, he could fix it himself. It was a relief.

Within a month, he practically mastered the art of his new mechanics, though it was mostly because his bullies messed it up often, giving him plenty of practice. Whenever his parents asked of the slight broken arm and occasional damaged eye, he just answered as him being clumsy for not being used to the new look. But they never saw it often so they never questioned further.

Doc always tried to repair it all before his parents came home, well not his face though. His dad thought it was too dangerous for self operation so when Doc was still in the hospital recovering, he constructed a machine that would do it for him. How was he so quick and smart? Only Xelqua can say.

Doc’s fingers touched the left side of his face, it was good that the mechanics wasn’t all internal and deep, it was just mostly his eye. Nevertheless the memories still pained him, why didn’t anyone say anything? Did he deserve death that much? After that moment would he start cutting, would he start being seriously suicidal.

But he never acted, because he still loved his family and they loved him. They did not know of his secret, but he was too scared to say. He wanted the warmth of a loving family for as long as he could have one, before they looked at him in disgust the same way the others have.

Tears started coming out of his right eye but he wiped it quickly, closing his eyes and taking a deep sigh. He looked back at the mirror and shaped his hair a little before grabbing the cardboard box and heading out of his room. He thanked the universe for giving him genes that would let him look absolutely fine after crying. His eyes never got puffy, never got red, never did his face look horrible after a crying session. Only leftover tear marks would appear over his dark circles under his eyes and messy hair.

After dropping off the box into the garage where all the other empty boxes laid, he ran back upstairs to his room, shouting as he ran up, “I’m not hungry so I’m not going to eat dinner! I already ate when you were out!”

Of course, he was lying. He did not eat when they left for awhile, just took a frozen mini pizza pack and put it in his mini fridge that was in his room. He would trash it tomorrow at school. Though he was not lying when he said he was not hungry, he had gotten numb to the feeling of hunger. Only eating from time to time when it was necessary.

\-------

It was 6:30 a.m. on a Monday, Doc’s alarm rang off to wake him up. There was no need for it however, he was already awake since 4 a.m. because of a nightmare. Afterwards, he couldn’t go back to sleep with plaguing thoughts of what might occur in the new school. Turning his alarm off from his phone he got out of bed and got ready, heading to the bathroom.

Doc is happy about one part about this new school, there is no uniform! Meaning he can finally wear his own clothes and not worry about uniform expenses! When getting dressed he reached for his white lab coat, the one his dad gave him. However, before grabbing it, his hand stopped midair. Glancing at his wrist, he thinks for a second before continuing and grabbing the coat. Before wearing it, he walks over to his desk and proceeds to wrap extra bandage layers to his wrist. He did not want any of his fresh cuts to have the chance of successfully bleeding through and tainting his favorite clothing. People would also notice the blood, but it’s not like anyone would care. A school change hardly changed that fact.

After putting his lab coat on, he went to his desk to start packing for school. Doc rubbed his temples in frustration, _I don’t know what to bring… This is the first time I’m transferring in the middle of a school year._ Closing his eyes once more to think, he decides to get the basic essentials that he had to bring in his last school.

Soon, his mother calls from downstairs, “Let’s go! We need to go a little early since we need to drop by the office!”

“Yes mom!” Doc calls back, grabbing his bag and starting his trek down the stairs. When he goes to the car, his mom gives him a toast on a napkin.

“Don’t worry about the car and eat up. I know you don’t like eating breakfast but it’s the first day so have something.” She tells him softly.

Unable to escape and not wanting to refuse, Doc takes the toast and slowly eats it. Looking out the window as he watches buildings and cars pass by. They arrive at the school shortly.

“You already have our address marked onto your phone so use the map to walk home. It isn’t far, less than the last school, so don’t worry. If you get lost, call me.” His mom notifies him before unlocking the car, looking at him with a warm smile.

Doc nods and fakes a smile back. Both then exit the car and go to the office to get everything ready to go. Once all the documents get situated, Doc’s mother leaves for her work and Doc is given his schedule and a minimap of the school campus. Since he does not know the campus all too well and is clueless to where everything is, he is assigned a student to guide him. Doc tries to reassure them, saying he can navigate fine with the map, but they insist and he is unable to refuse and speak up more.

 _Well I guess someone will already hate me for wasting their time. Look at me here, unable to stay away from trouble again. Why am I so useless?_ Doc thinks to himself as he is led to his first class by a staff.

First class was Language Arts. Doc hopes that no one stares, praying that no one would stare at him, at his mechanics. The staff stops walking, they have arrived. The school had not started yet, explaining why the classroom was empty and only the teacher was there with a few students outside chatting, them being too busy talking to notice Doc’s existence.

“Mr. Dennis? Here is the new student, Doc Mössner, and I have emailed you the papers. Also, please tell Xisuma that he will be having to guide Doc around. Everyone has already been informed of this but just in case you missed. I have to go now, hope you have a nice day!” The staff informs the teacher before swiftly leaving Doc alone.

Doc stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do exactly. The teacher quickly shuffles through some papers and finally breaks the silence, “Uh, well this is great! We are just starting the second semester so there will be a change in seats and we will be starting basically anew so don’t be so stiff. I have the new seating chart already but I want to introduce you to everyone if you don’t mind?”

Quietly Doc says, “It’s fine.” _It’s not fine_ , his mind screams in contrast.

“Great! Well why don’t you wait outside? I still need to get some things ready and it’ll be a few minutes until the bell rings. Why not get familiar with your schedule and talk to some people?” Mr. Dennis energetically rambles on, giving him a smile of encouragement.

With a small nod, Doc leaves the room and heads to a secluded area to the side. There are more people around but he is able to find a corner that is not bustling with students talking loudly. Sitting down, he looks at his schedule. In order, AP Language Arts, Precalculus Honors, AP US History, AP Computer Science A, AP Chemistry, and lastly German III Honors. He groans, they were all advanced classes.

 _I thought mom said that I won’t have hard classes? She expects so much from me… I can’t…_ Doc thinks to himself. He closes his eyes and leans his head against the wall, he feels as if he is suffocating.

The bell rings. The students are bustling around, going to their class. Doc does not move. After a minute, he stands and slowly follows the crowd of students entering the class where Mr. Dennis is waiting patiently.

The seating chart is displayed onto the smartboard, so the students find their seats themselves. Mr. Dennis motions for Doc to stand in the front. Doc gulps and slowly walks to the front of the room where the teacher is waiting.

Please don’t stare. Please don’t ask. Please stop, I can’t.

Doc looks around, everyone is seated and is watching him. They are staring at him, at his arm, at his left eye. Feeling the suffocation he directs his attention to the ground, it seems to be more interesting.

“Class! This is Doc! He is a new student here so please welcome him and be nice! Xisuma?” Mr Dennis calls out, introducing Doc. Mentally, Doc thanks the teacher for directing the class’s attention away from him.

A boy with short warm brown hair wearing a mask perks up his head. He seems to be wearing a grey long sleeved shirt that is rolled up to his elbows, darker gray jeans, and black fingerless gloves.

“Yes?”, he answers.

Mr. Dennis continues, “You will be guiding Doc around so don’t worry much if you are late, all the teachers have been informed of this so you won’t get marked. Understood?”

“Yes sir.” Xisuma replies to the teacher, smiling widely.

“Alright. Doc, you will be sitting next to Xisuma there. Xisuma raise your hand please?” Mr. Dennis instructs Doc.

Xisuma raises his hand, waving slightly. Mr. Dennis chuckles and pats Doc on the back, “Thank you Xisuma. Doc, welcome to Claverack High School, I hope you have a great time here and make plenty of memories.”

Doc only nods and swiftly goes to the empty seat next to Xisuma, setting down his bag. He does not spare a glance to anyone and fixes his eyes onto the board, zoning out the rest of the class and just noting down the important parts of the session to his notebook.

\-------

Doc is walking out of Computer Science with Xisuma hot on his trails. So far, everytime Doc has rushed out of class and successfully navigated himself with the minimap he had been given in the office. Leaving Xisuma to follow and then swiftly run off to his class, or join the class with him. Doc had Language Arts and Computer Science with him, already two classes out of four.

Looking around he finally stopped walking. Doc did not have a plan for this, he forgot about lunch. During the ten minute break, he was able to go enter the class and rest there, but he did not know what to do now.

Xisuma had now finally catched up to him. Panting he says, “Jeez you are fast. I’m supposed to guide you, not run after you, jeez. Why have you stopped now?”, ending with a question with hope that Doc would talk to him. Throughout this whole time, Doc rushed away and never spoke, leaving Xisuma frustrated but determined.

“I don’t eat lunch.” Doc said quietly, stiffening.

“Huh? You what?” Xisuma asks, done with his panting and standing up straight. He was too caught up in the fact that Doc had replied to his question.

“I don’t eat lunch. I don’t know where I should go.” Doc repeats himself, adding more context.

Xisuma’s face brightens up instantly. “Why not come with me? I have a group of friends and you can hang with us!”, he exclaims excitedly. Xisuma was excited for a new friend, needless to say.

Taken aback by the invitation and kindness, Doc narrows his eyes for a moment. _He doesn’t hate me? Weird… wait no stop, remember Doc, remember, you can’t have friends. Don’t be weak._ Doc reminds himself.

“I- uh…” He starts, not finding the words. He opens his mouth to continue but is interrupted.

“No I don’t hate you, I don’t have a reason to hate you really. Why can’t you have friends? Uh, sorry if I’m intruding but I feel like it’s alright to have friends. I think everyone deserves friends and it doesn’t make someone weak to have a friend.” Xisuma rambles thoughtfully.

Doc’s face falls and his eyes widen. “Did I say that out loud?”, he asks in a whisper, scared of the answer to be true.

Xisuma having heard that as well, answers, “Uh yes, was I not supposed to? Erm, cmon! They don’t bite! Although we aren’t the average kind of group, you may fit in well!”

He gives Doc a hand, a kind smile clear on his face since he took his mask off a while ago due to having to run and catch up with Doc when he was rushing about.

“We are also standing in the middle of nowhere so… er… be best to move out of the way…” Xisuma quietly adds, scratching the back of his head awkwardly with his other hand.

Doc hesitates, but succumbs and grabs his hand, forcing a smile upon his face. _It won’t hurt to maybe get some friends… I can just pretend to be normal… they don’t know that I am different..._

“Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any part was confusing I apologize, any tips are appreciated. I hope this wasn't too short of a chapter, chapter 2 will be longer I promise :D.


	3. Chapter 2

Xisuma is leading Doc to a large group occupying a clearing in the corner next to a vending machine and a trash can. Everyone is either sitting on the floor or standing but leaning against the wall. Doc, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people, directs his attention to the ground more when they start to get closer to the group. He silently hopes that Xisuma has to get something from one of those people, that he was going to turn and present him to a much smaller group. He was wrong in the end, of course life would not go the way he wanted. Or, was it because a small part of him within actually was excited to make friends and meet new people? Only Xelqua can say. 

Xisuma halted his walking several paces before completely reaching the group, interrupting Doc from his thoughts. 

“I must warn you, they may be a bit more hyper and energetic that it can get overwhelming so just tap me on the shoulder three times and I’ll assist. You may not need to but sometimes... they all decide to go crazy, or maybe a few people.” Xisuma explains to Doc, giving him a warm smile of encouragement. “I don’t know why but I have a feeling that we will become great friends.”, Xisuma continues as he wears his face mask once more, finally letting go of Doc’s hand. 

Doc shoves his hands into his coat pockets before Xisuma can grab his hand again, forcing a smile and says, “I’m sure they are lovely people.”

Xisuma’s eyes brighten and grabs Doc’s arm and starts walking to the group again, Doc stumbling at first but regains his balance as he is dragged by Xisuma. 

“Hey guys! This is a new friend I made today! He’s a new student but I feel like he’ll be a great addition to the gang!” Xisuma semi-shouts to the group, however the group is too loud and is conversing too deeply about something to do with boiled versus fried potatoes to hear. 

Doc’s mind pauses and he asks silently to Xisuma, “F-friends? But we just met and I hardly even know you…”

Xisuma looks at Doc and removes his grip on his arm, moving it to Doc’s back. Patting Doc’s back, he replies, “Well why not? Do you want to be friends?”

“I… uh sure… yes?” Doc stumbles out, his mind unable to register what is happening. 

“Then it’s settled, we are now officially friends.” Xisuma declares back. 

Before anything else can continue between them, a boy with a red headband and dark brown hair speaks up, “Hey Xisuma! Whose this?” He seems to be wearing a white tank top, black wristbands on both wrists, black jeans with several big pockets and gray sneakers. 

The rest of the group stops chatting and looks over in curiosity. 

“Hello Bdubs, this guy here, is Doc! He’s a new student to this school and a new friend. Cmon Doc, introduce yourself why don’t ya jeez.” Xisuma says with a chuckle in the end. 

Doc darts his eyes to the cement floor cracks as he speaks, “Uh yeah, um my name is Doc but Xisuma already said that…” His words trail away and then he speaks up once more to continue while narrowing his eyes, “How does one introduce themself? Do I say how old I am or what grade? I’m sixteen and am a junior. I don’t have anything interesting about me besides the fact that I am practically a full fledged cyborg who also happens to be German.” 

This remark gives the group a small laugh. Suddenly, a guy with brown hair who is already rocking a small beard and moustache shouts, “I’m not alone anymore!” He has his hand pointing to his left eye that has a strapped mechanic device attached in its place. The boy is wearing a muted green hoodie, black fingerless gloves, blue jeans, and black sneakers to tie off the simple look. 

Doc fakes a laugh and asks, “How’d you get yours if you don’t mind me asking?”

The boy puffs out his chest as he begins talking, “In middle school there was a robbery going on in the mall and I saved everyone by tackling him down. He stabbed my eye but I didn’t let him go and he went to jail. He was too weak to stab me fully so my eye was the only thing affected. Oh and I’m Iskall by the way.” The boy ends his speech with a grin and a heroic pose since he was one of the ones standing. 

A guy next to him who was sitting spoke up with a laugh, “You forgot the girl screams!”

“Mumbo!” Iskall gasps as he smacks him in the head lightly. 

The whole group started laughing and Doc let out a small laugh of his own. The group was once again in a bit of a chaotic situation. 

Xisuma speaks up, “Guys! Shush, quiet down jeez.”, the rest of the group hushes almost immediately to listen. “Let’s have you all introduce yourselves. We are practically already in a crooked circle so let's go clockwise starting with Mumbo since Iskall already did.”

“I’m also Swedish!” Iskall exclaims. A guy with blond hair pushes him down to sit while snickering, whispering “Shut up, no one cares about your Swedish meatballs.”. 

“Everyone sit down and uh, let’s make the circle a little less like a spaghetti noodle why don’t we.”, the blond announces, still snickering at Iskall. 

Everyone nods in agreement, some shuffling closer and making the circle a little less crooked. Xisuma sits down and pulls Doc to sit down next to him. They are sitting across from Iskall so when Doc looks up and makes eye contact with him, Iskall grins and waves slightly. Doc averts his gaze back to look at the middle of the circle that is littered with some of the group’s backpacks. 

A boy sitting next to Iskall introduces himself, “Okay uh, I believe we are all ready. Hello, my name is Mumbo Jumbo but just call me Mumbo. Nice to meet you.” He has gelled black hair combed back and a thick moustache somehow. His attire is odd for he is wearing a suit top but is wearing black smooth jeans and black sneakers. 

The blond guy from before who is sitting next to Mumbo speaks, “My turn! I’m Grian and I definitely won’t prank you in the future, I hope we can be good friends!” Grian has dirty blond hair with sky blue eyes. He is wearing a thick red sweater with plain gray jeans and black shoes. 

“He will definitely prank you one day, you are not safe. Moving on, I’m Scar and this is Cubfan but just call him Cub.”, a boy with messy brown hair and a cowboy hat says while pointing to a guy next to him. He is wearing a tan shirt with a brown leather jacket, darker brown jeans and dark cocoa colored boots. 

Cub has his head shaved and seems to be growing a moustache and beard, his eyes dark brown, almost black. A white lab coat he is also wearing, only no pockets seem to exist in this one. The coat is buttoned off but it can be slightly seen that he is wearing a blue dress shirt with a black tie, ending the look with dark blue jeans and black shoes. 

“You don’t need to speak for me Scar.” Cub says while elbowing Scar, “Anyway, Welcome to Claverack Doc.”

Doc zones out the introductions for a while, eyes following each person automatically while noting their names and appearance in his head to not forget. This was a large group, about twenty people, and that made Doc’s anxiety acknowledge itself. 

After Cub was Jevin who had dyed his hair blue to match his eyes and wore a white hoodie with black jeans and shoes. Then there was Wels who seemed to have short blond hair and wore a light gray cap that had a knight symbol on it. He wore a gray shirt with an image of a knight’s armor onto it, gray jeans and light gray boots. 

Next was a group of three who called themselves ZIT. There was Zedaph who had dirty blond semi-long hair, dark blue eyes and a nice tanned skin. He was wearing a brown button up sweater with plain light blue jeans and black sneakers. Then there was a guy named Impulse who had short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a black shirt with a yellow “i” on the back and a gray creepy symbol on the front that resembled a face of some sort. He wore dark muted green shorts with black shoes that accompanied dirty yellow laces. The last of the small group was Tango, he had bright messy blond hair with dark red eyes. He wore a long sleeved shirt and jeans with the same shade of red, a dark gray vest, white bands around his arms, and dark gray boots. 

After the oddly named group was Joe Hills who had a southern accent and short brown hair. Joe wore glasses and had a blue shirt with the “@” symbol on it in white, his outfit finished with dark blue jeans and black shoes. Next to him was a group of three girls. First was Cleo, she had long wavy ginger hair with a flower crown on top. She wore a dark blue sweater crop top, the sleeves pushed down to reveal her shoulders and thin black bra straps. Additionally, she wore black jean shorts, brown shoes,and knee high black and white striped socks. Next to Cleo was Stress, she had short straight brown hair and light brown eyes, wearing a white shirt with a pink cardigan, ending the look with light blue shorts and brown sneakers. The last girl of the whole group was False. She had long blond hair with goggles positioned on top of her head and bright blue eyes. She wore a red and white striped shirt with a green jacket, brown gloves, darker brown shorts with a black and yellow belt, and tall black boots with accents of yellow buckles. 

Once False was done and Doc moved his eyes to see who was next, his mind came back from automatic. The guy who was next had long warm chocolate brown hair tied up to a ponytail and bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in Doc’s mind. There was a semi-long stubble growing and black sunglasses were placed on top of his head. The guy wore a red short sleeved shirt, black fingerless leather gloves, a black leather belt with a white buckle, faded blue jeans, and red sneakers. Doc’s heart felt warm. 

Then he spoke, “Hey I’m Ren, or should I say Ren Diggity Dog?” Some snicker at his signature greeting and he continues, “I will repeat what everyone has said, welcome and I hope that we become great friends. Though do watch out for my charm as I make ladies get in line for me.” He finishes with a wink and yelps as that last sentence earns him a small punch to the side. 

False having been the one to act says, “Psh yeah right.” and rolls her eyes. 

Doc chuckles and replies with a smile, “I’ll keep that in mind.” However, deep inside he is frowning for that last comment killed his heart from acting up more. At first he was relishing in Ren’s beautiful voice, how angelic it sounded to him. However instead, his mind was now filled with how he was different, how he did not belong here, how he should die for this crime.

His mind is numb as the guy next to Ren begins to speak, “I’m Keralis and it is nice to meet you! We shall become great friends!” Keralis is wearing an aqua short sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans with gray sneakers. Doc continues the small smile he has been keeping on his face. 

The guy next to him is the same guy who spoke up when Xisuma arrived.  _ Was Bubs his name?  _ Doc questions in his mind. 

“Hey, I go by Bdubs. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He says, correcting Doc’s mind unknowingly. 

Doc shifts his gaze to look at the last two people left, however, his eyes widen and his smile disappears. There stood Beef and Etho, two people that had tormented him in his former school. They were two of the original people to start tormenting him, both leaving about a year later. Doc was unaware that they moved here. He was unaware that they had transferred to this school, to Claverack High School of all places. 

They both looked the same, only small changes existing such as their attire due to the absence of a mandatory school uniform. Beef had dark blue eyes and short black hair with his past stubble now having turned into more of a moustache and beard. He wore a black shirt with a red and white varsity jacket, blue jeans, and black shoes. Etho had spiky white hair and mismatched eyes, one being black and the other dark red. He had a black headband and a mask like Xisuma except it wrapped around his neck. Additionally, he wore a dark gray long sleeved shirt that was rolled up just beneath his elbows, a muted light green vest, dark gray jeans, and black sneakers. 

Etho and Beef seemed to have not been paying too much attention to Doc, for it appeared that it only dawned onto them who he was when it was their turn to introduce themselves. Or maybe it was because they weren’t aware that he became a cyborg. 

“I don’t think Beef and I need to introduce ourselves.” Etho finally says while looking at Xisuma, quickly glancing several times to look at Doc’s new appearance. 

“Hm? Do you two know him?” Xisuma questions them. Everyone’s attention was now onto them as well, stopping any small side conversations that had been occuring. 

Before either of them could reply, Doc stands up and directs his gaze down to Xisuma who was still sitting. 

“Sorry Xisuma but I have to go, sorry. It was nice to meet your friends but I don’t think I’m welcome anymore.” Doc says to Xisuma before reaching down to grab his bag. His plan was to find his next class and wait outside until the bell rang. 

Xisuma was confused as his mind raced with questions,  _ Was there bad blood between them? He looks so sad… why does he look so sad? What do you mean you aren’t welcome? _

When Doc grabs his bag and turns to leave, someone grabs his wrist, stopping him. Doc turns around, about to say “Piss off!” at whoever grabbed him, but bites his tongue when he sees the culprit, Ren. 

Instead, Doc decides to say, “Can you let go? My wrist hurts. If you want to say something, do it, I won’t leave.” It’s not like he was lying, he could feel the recent cuts open. 

Alarmed, Ren lets go. “I’m sorry I- I didn’t know I held it hard.”, he says in a more panicked voice. 

“No no, you didn’t. I injured my wrist before I came here.” Doc reassures him, quickly shoving his hand inside the coat pocket. He did not want, out of anyone, Ren being the one to apologize to him. He obviously did nothing wrong, it was Doc who was at fault for everything. It was Doc’s fault for hurting it in the first place. It was Doc’s fault for being different. 

Ren’s panicked expression fades away and in turn, comes a determined expression. “Okay well, I feel like I’m getting some bad vibes of whatever happened between the three of you. However! I really did mean it when I said I wanted to be good friends so I want to help you with whatever went wrong. So I am thinking, why not-” Ren rambles on only to be interrupted. 

“Private talk.” Beef speaks up before Ren can come up with his solution. 

Ren looks at him in confusion, “Huh? Whaddya mean?”

Beef explains, “Etho, Doc, and I can all go in a private place and discuss the issue. Once done, we’ll come back. The bell may ring though, so I promise we’ll settle what happened and Doc will come back tomorrow at least where we can properly talk and have some fun. Then can he decide properly if he wants to leave or stay.”

Etho nods with a smile, “I like this idea. Besides, what happened wasn’t that serious.”

Everyone else nods slightly or gives a sign of understanding, the tense atmosphere lifting. Ren smiles at Doc and says, “I hope to see you soon.” before going back to sit with False. 

Doc straps on his messenger bag and quietly says, “Lead the way.”

\-------

The three were now in a secluded corner. There was no other soul existing within their location. Doc was in the corner, his hands up to his face in case the other two decide to hit him. His bag was tossed onto the floor, a few feet away from him. 

“Are you that afraid? How much of a coward did you become? Shouldn’t you be more brave because of your new robot arm?” Beef taunted him. 

Etho continued, “Now you really aren’t human! First you are a fag and now… you’ve stooped really low. Trying to make yourself a robot so you can run away some more? Pathetic, you are so pathetic. And you thought I would like you back? I am not a faggot like you, Doc.”

“How did you even get these? I know you aren’t brave enough to cut off your arm.” Beef asks while pulling on the metal arm harshly. Doc yelps in pain as he falls to the ground from losing balance. Beef grunts as he almost falls as well, kicking Doc when regaining his composure. 

Doc replies to him quietly, “Car crash.”

Etho looks at him in disbelief. “Wait, so you are basically saying that  **I** did this to you? It wasn’t that bad! You probably hurt yourself more afterwards to make it so you would get robotic parts. Don’t  **lie** to me Doc!” He growls in anger, fury in his eyes. 

“IT WAS ME! I DID THIS TO MYSELF!” Doc yells out once Etho takes out a knife. Doc backs up to the wall is fear. 

The bell rings. 

Etho looks at Doc, “Tomorrow, make yourself look extremely uncomfortable or make yourself hated like they would if they knew your secret. Don’t come back afterwards. Never mention us. Got it?”

Doc only nods, grabbing his bag slowly. The duo leave for their classes, leaving Doc alone with a torn up map. A tear streams down his eye. Doc stands up, his body screaming back at him in pain and exhaustion. He closes his eyes,  _ What was after Computer Science… Chemistry then it was German. Okay… cmon, remember the map… cmon. _ He wipes his eye and fixes himself to look normal. 

Remembering the general Science building area, Doc heads to that direction to at least get moving, not knowing the pinpoint location. While walking, he spots Xisuma who is with Cub. Doc rushes over and shouts, “Xisuma!”

Xisuma turns around in confusion, eyes brightening when his gaze lands on Doc. “Hey Doc! Did you settle the situation with the other two?” He asks in curiosity. 

Doc fakes a smile and replies, “Yeah, it’s all good. Anyway, I lost my map so do you have one or can I recruit you back as my guide?”

Laughing, Xisuma says, “I don’t have a map but I’ll continue my job as a guide. What class do you have next? I have Chemistry with Cub here.”

Doc takes his schedule out of his pocket, “I have Chemistry as well from Mrs. Glenseed, room 501.”

“Oh we have the same class! Nice, nice. Uh, I think the two minute bell may ring any moment from now, let’s get going!” Cub informs him. 

\-------

The lights are off, binds closed, door closed. Doc had already finished all of the school work he had to do. Dinner was forgotten as he lied again to his parents, hiding another frozen mini pizza in his fridge. Doc told himself he would dispose of it at school, ignoring how he forgot last time. 

Tears streamed down his eye as he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. Fresh new cuts had now appeared on his wrist, blood dripping into the sink. He wrapped his arm in new bandages before slumping down into his bed. 

Doc looked back into his mind, remembering when he didn’t confess to Etho. When he didn’t confess that he was gay. 

He was happy, he had friends, he was normal. He was not alone. 

What about now? After he developed feelings? After he confessed? After Etho kissed him? After Etho hugged him and said it was okay? After he was betrayed? After the heartbreak? After the stab in back? 

Doc closed his eyes and bit his hand to muffle his sobbing. 

_ I want to die… I hate myself. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm dead, there are so many Hermitcraft members it killed me-
> 
> By the way... uh... IM SORRY I NEEDED BAD PEEPS!! pls no take my kneecaps thank you


	4. Chapter 3

Doc woke with a start, sweating, his hand clutching his heart. He lifted himself, now sitting on his bed and panting heavily. Staring at the blanket around his legs, his breathing slowly got calmer. He looked at the time, 4 a.m., too early for his liking. With a sigh, he fell back to the bed, feeling the pillow cushion his head. He closed his eyes but opened them instantly right after, remembering the nightmare. Bringing his arm to his eyes, he fought the urge to cry. Then he remembered Etho’s words.

_How can I do that? They’ve been so nice to me so far… but it’s probably for the best anyway. I don’t want another repeat with Etho… and Ren… he’ll definitely be disgusted and do the same as Etho. The rest of the people will forget me as well, there’s like twenty people… one stranger appearing for two days is insignificant._ Doc concludes in his head, planning the uncomfortable method Etho brought up. 

Removing his arm from his face, he got off his bed and headed to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and showering, Doc went to his desk. He packed his bag and looked over some notes from a few classes. Once done reviewing, he looks at the time, 6:47 a.m. About an hour left before he had scheduled to leave for school. 

Turning the 7:30 alarm off on his phone, Doc begins to dress himself. He searches for his lab coat until he remembers that he had given it to his mother. She had insisted that it was crinkled and dirty so she would take it to the dry cleaners. With a sigh, he puts on a thin dark green hoodie and straps on his messenger bag to his shoulder. He grabs the two mini pizza’s in his fridge and walks downstairs to the kitchen. Putting the pizzas in a paper bag, Doc leaves the house and treks to the school. He had decided to go to school early and wait there. 

Along the walk, Doc decides to take a detour to find a homeless person. He finds one in an alleyway and shakes him awake. 

“Uh, excuse me sir. I’m sorry but I was going to trash these but would you like them instead? Although they are frozen…” Doc asks but then guilt begins to chew at him. The mini pizzas were frozen so how was this person supposed to eat it?

The homeless man to Doc’s surprise smiles and says, “Thank you young gentleman. I can maybe borrow a convenience store’s microwave so don’t worry.”

Doc smiles back and reaches into his messenger bag, taking out his wallet. Grabbing all of the money that was inside, two hundred seventy five dollars, he hands it to the stranger and says, “Better if you buy something from there to accompany the pizza. I don’t know if this will help much but it’s all I have.”

The stranger receives the money and thanks him over and over again, promising that he will use it wisely. Doc smiles and when he leaves, feels overjoyed at the thought of having helped someone. When he reaches the school, his smile disappears and walks in, the gate already open. Walking to a corner near Language Arts, he leans against the wall and puts earphones into his ears. Taking out his phone, he connects the earphone to the phone and clicks on a random song. Content with what he selected, he turns up the volume so he can’t hear the outside world and closes his eyes. 

After the song ends, a new one begins that turns out to be one of his favorites. He smiles but then the peaceful moment ends, only listening to the song for eighteen seconds before someone harshly pulls the earphones out of his ears. Wincing he looks up to the person, about to yell, “Dude!” but his mouth does not move when he sees the person. Instead, he looks to the side, quietly asking, “What do you want Beef?”

Beef drops the earphones and steps on it, destroying the device. Stepping off the device, he says, “Pick it up and follow me. Trash it along the way.” 

Without leaving any room for a reply, he starts walking off. Doc swiftly picks up the broken earphones and trails behind Beef, trashing the earphones once a trash can is found. Beef leads him to the same place as yesterday. Dread fills into Doc’s mind as he presses his thumb into his palm to stop shaking. 

“You know, I’m so glad Etho and I found this place. No one ever comes here and it’s perfect for this! Though we never thought we would need this place, we also never thought you would come here.” Beef explains before walking towards Doc, backing him to the wall. “I saw you smiling a little while ago, it disgusted but peaked my interest as to why. So I thought, why not ask? But when I asked, you ignored me.” he continues, faking a hurt expression. 

“I-I couldn’t hear… it was-” Doc tries to explain, his eyes to the side. His hands gripped the straps of his bad tightly. 

Beef interrupts him and grabs Doc’s face, turning it towards him and saying, “Look at me when you speak and only speak when I allow you to.” before letting go. Doc nodded and looked back down to the floor. Then, Beef grabbed Doc’s bag and pulled it off him, shoving him to the side. Doc yelped out in pain as his back hit the wall before falling to the floor. 

“Shut up Doc, don’t be loud. It’s not lunch so people can hear us more easily.” Beef warns him before opening the bag, “Where’s your wallet?”

Doc replies quietly, almost in a whisper, “In the biggest pocket inside.”

Beef’s face brightens when he finds it, dropping the bag. Once the wallet is opened, his face frowns in disappointment, “I thought you were a rich kid. Why’s it empty?”

“I gave it away.” Doc replies as he gets up into a sitting position. 

Within the next second, Doc had a foot connected with his stomach. He fell forward, coughing roughly and tears welling up in his eye. A hand grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to meet Beef’s eyes, a clear annoyed expression on his face. 

“Change of plans. Tell Xisuma at one point before lunch that you don’t want to be friends with him and the gang. If you don’t, then tomorrow I’ll beat you till a pulp because I don’t want to see your useless face again. Understood?” Beef instructs before shoving his face back down. 

Doc weakly mutters out, “Understood.”

Beef kicks Doc’s side before leaving the area. Having fallen once more, Doc closes his eyes and tries to ignore the pain. He stands up slowly, grabbing his bag and wallet to pack it back inside. Walking back to the corner near Language Arts, he leans against the wall once more and looks at the ground. A tear forms at his eye and he wipes it quickly, but more fall and he lets them drip to the cement floor. 

_Why do I have to be here with them?_ He asks himself. 

“Hey! Doc! You’re already here?” Someone shouts.

Doc looks up to see Xisuma waving and running up to him. Panicking, he quickly wipes his eye and forces a smile. Waving back, he replies, “Hey… Xisuma.”

Xisuma now standing in front of Doc laughs and jokes, “Didja forget my name already?” Forcing out a laugh, Doc shakes his head and tries to force his tears to stop. However, one refuses his command and falls anyway. Doc wipes it quickly but Xisuma had already noticed. 

With worry, Xisuma asks, “What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

Doc quickly shakes his head. _It’s now or never, do it now before you are too weak to say no!_

“I uhm… I’m sorry but I don’t want to be friends with you. I uh-” Doc says while looking at Xisuma, trying not to break down crying. Before he can finish talking, Xisuma cuts him off, “That's bull.”

“What?” Doc questions, confusion erupting through his mind. 

Xisuma continues, “I said, that’s bull. You and I both know that. I would respect your decisions normally, but your face doesn’t convince me that you want to be alone or some other reason.” Doc tries to interrupt but Xisuma puts a finger to his mouth. “Shush, let me finish. Now, you don’t have to tell me but you look really sad, you even had a tear fall. Can you tell me why? Maybe I can help, one doesn’t try to cut off a friendship out of the blue.”

Doc’s mind was scrambling for any lie, but nothing came up. “It’s nothing.” He finally says after being silent for a minute or two. 

With a huff, Xisuma crosses his arms and narrows his eyes. Then he asks, “It’s fine if you don’t. I won’t bother you more, but do you really want to stop being friends?”

“I… want to be friends…” Doc answers truthfully. He knows he’ll get a beating the next day but he wants at least one more day, at least one more day where he’ll have friends for the last time. “I’m just scared a little… that’s all.” He continues. Doc was not lying though, he was indeed scared, just not of the friendship but more or the consequences of it. 

Happy with Doc’s response, Xisuma grins and offers his hand, “Don't worry! I know the gang is pretty large but I promise they aren’t scary. Now, I don’t know about you but we should get going. The bell already rang.” 

Doc smiles back and replies, “Yeah, let’s go. After class, maybe also consider continuing your story of dying from zombies in a game. Got cut off from your dad last time.” The smile was genuine for once. For once, he let himself be happy. 

Xisuma grabs Doc’s hand and walks towards the classroom, saying, “Oh my word, I forgot he didn’t let me finish! Let me just finish now. So I made a major derp and forgot that I had a sword in my inventory. I was panicking and when I finally flew, I went straight into a wall! It appeared out of nowhere! I swear someone put that there just to get me.” Doc laughed as Xisuma rambled on about the mysterious wall. He was having fun. 

_I’m not running away this time. I’m staying friends with him until he ends it. If this happy moment comes with a price, I’ll take it._

With a solid decision now made, Doc lets himself go and enters Language Arts with a clear mind.

\-------

It was already lunch. Doc felt nervous but was ready, he knew what he was doing. He was walking with Xisuma to the spot, listening as Xisuma talked of the lesson they just had in Computer Science. 

“The teacher explained everything, the whole process, yet the guy next to me didn’t listen and is doing everything the long way! Goodness me, I am going to lose my mind the next time he asks me about it, like just listen to the teacher jeez, it’s not that hard.” Xisuma vents to Doc. 

Doc laughs and points to a duet walking several paces ahead of them, “That sucks. Anyway, look! There’s Joe and Cleo, should we join them?”

Xisuma looks over but shakes his head, “Nah, let’s leave those lovebirds alone.”

“Lovebirds? They’re together?” Doc questions. 

Xisuma nods, smiling fondly as he continues to look at them, “Yeah, Joe asked her out a year ago and it was basically smooth sailing from there. Even though we are all young, that is a healthy relationship I feel will last forever, if not, a long time.”

Doc hums and looks to the sky, “That’s good.”

Instead of heading straight to the hangout spot, Xisuma has them take a detour to the vending machines. Xisuma buys himself a bag of chips and gestures Doc to the machine, but he shakes his head, replying that he does not have money. Shrugging, Xisuma buys another bag and tosses it to Doc. Before he can refuse the offering, Xisuma grabs his hand and starts walking. Looking back and shooting Doc a smile, he says, “Don’t worry about it, my gift.” Doc succumbs to the happy warm feeling and mutters a “Thank you.” When they arrive in the small area, it seems that several people are missing. 

Scar notices their arrival first and exclaims, “Good to see you back Doc!” 

Smiling back, Doc asks, “Where are the others?”

“Grian, Mumbo, and Iskall are off busy with a project, I think they called it Sahara? I don’t remember. Jevin texted that Wels and him are helping out a teacher. Etho texted that Beef and him are in the Finance office dealing with something. And… I believe that is it!” Cub lists off to him. 

Doc relaxed, “Huh, that’s a handful.”

Not long after, everyone there was laughing and having fun. They decided to play a small game while the group ate their lunch. The game was hot potato with a twist. Whenever the potato plush was thrown to you, the person who tossed it had to ask the victim a question and it had to be answered truthfully. The group, or hermits Xisuma called them as, naturally answered the questions in the most dodgy way possible, even if it was just asking what they ate for breakfast. 

Doc decided to follow the trend whenever it was his turn. Though when Stress asked him if he would come back tomorrow, he grinned as he decided to actually answer the question legitimately, “If you want me back here, yes.”

Stress smiled brightly and squealed out a “Yay!” before going a little red as the group laughed. 

Now that it was Doc’s turn to throw the potato, he threw it at Xisuma and asked, “What was your first impression of me?”

“Hm, I’ll actually answer this since, well it’s not a bad one. I just thought you were an interesting character since you looked so determined to use a map instead of allowing me, the appointed guide, to help you.” Xisuma replied, snickering after finishing the last comment. “But no worries on that, you came crawling back for my guidance in the end.” He adds, making the group laugh and have Doc cover his face with his hands. 

“The map disappeared, not my fault.” Doc mutters with a huff but the group hears, laughing even harder at his embarrassment. 

Suddenly a voice calls out, Doc stiffening but forcing himself to stay calm as he turns around. 

“What’s this? Having fun without us?” Etho questions, looking at Doc directly but a smile was on his face. Setting down his bag, he sits next to Xisuma and looks over at the plush, “Hm? Whatcha playing?”

“Oh just some Hot Potato but the victim must answer a question truthfully. Wanna join?” Cleo says, hiding behind Joe to avoid the potato. 

Before Etho can reply however, the fun atmosphere quickly dissipates and Beef is kicking Doc repeatedly in the side. In shock, Doc is just taking them silently, covering his mouth to cover his screams. In an instant, people are on Beef, trying to stop him, even Etho. 

“BEEF! What was that?!” Etho shouts at Beef, tackling him down and pinning him to the floor. 

Doc sits up but winces in pain, looking over to Beef in shock. Ren and Stress are by his side, asking him if he is okay and checking his injuries. Etho and Xisuma are with Beef, both yelling at him as Beef glares at Doc. The rest of the hermits are sitting in shock or moving to either go to one of the two. Doc is brought back to reality when Stress tells him that she’ll go to the office to get some ice packs. 

Grabbing her hand, he says, “No no! It’s fine, really. I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt. Please, I’m fine.” Doc forces himself to stand, ignoring the spikes of pain and smiles, “See? I’m fine.”

She looks worried but nods, then Stress looks at Beef. Etho and Xisuma had now stopped yelling, so it was Stress’s turn. With clear rage in her eyes, she shouts, “What the hell Beef?! What did he do to you?!”

Beef stands up suddenly, knocking Etho and Xisuma onto the ground. Muttering an apology to both, he dashes for Doc once again. This time however, the rest were ready. Some go to Etho and ask what was wrong, while most try to go stop Beef. 

Doc in fear, runs off, grabbing his bag along the way. Too scared to look back, he runs to the bathroom and goes into a stall, locking the door. Panting he crouches down to see if anyone else was in the bathroom with him. There were no visible feet, he was alone. Sighing, he tries to busy himself by strapping on his bag. The universe was not on his side sadly, for a voice rang from the entrance a few minutes later. 

“Oh Doc~? I know you are here. I settled the situation with the others so no one is coming. Now come out before I make you.” Beef’s voice rang through the bathroom. 

Covering his mouth to stop his heavy breathing, he focuses on trying to calm down and be silent. His mind is racing so fast that he can’t think properly. 

The door of his stall shook as a foot kicked it.

“I can see you~” The taunting voice rang. 

Doc froze, realizing he forgot the stalls did not meet the ground, so his feet can be seen in full view. His shaking hands slowly opened the stall, staring at the ground. 

“I told you to not come, why did you come? Did you really want to piss me off that bad? I think you forgot something, I think you forgot why you should listen.” Beef said, before shoving Doc to the floor. Doc’s head hit the toilet seat, making his head spike up in pain. He grit his teeth, trying to stay quiet as Beef kicked him some more. 

Then Beef takes out a knife from his pocket, and places a knee onto Doc’s chest. He grabs Doc’s organic arm and lifts up the sleeve, stopping when he sees white bandages already existing. Doc was closing his eyes in pain until his arm was grabbed and the sleeve was pulled up. With panic he opened his eyes and when his eyes fell upon the knife, tried to scramble away in fear. However, no strength was left in him and Beef easily overpowered him as he ripped off the bandages. 

“Wow, you did this to yourself? Didn’t think you had the guts.” Beef said in a fascinated tone, looking at the arm littered with cuts up to the elbow. “You even did it all around! Dedication right there.” He continues, inspecting the arm. 

Then, he positions the knife onto the skin near his wrist, “I am going to carve something here. Don’t move or I’ll make it deeper.”

Gulping, Doc nods, making sure he was absolutely still as the blade inserted itself into his arm. It felt like a few agonizing hours passed until Beef announced that he was done. Once finished, Beef stands up and says, “I’m going back. I told them that I mistaked you for the murderer that killed my mom and already apologized multitude of times. They know me longer so I’m sure they’ll forgive me. Don’t come back, I won’t say this again. If you do, I’ll tell them that you’re gay, no, I’ll announce it to the whole school.”

Doc’s eyes widen and shake his head profusely as he sits up, “I understand! I won’t come back, I’ll stay away. Please…”

Satisfied, Beef turns away and leaves to the door before halting his steps. He turns his head, “You know, you would be a great punching bag whenever I’m stressed. Gimme your phone.”

Taking out his phone, he hands the phone over. Beef puts his contact in and texts a message to himself so he can save the contact later. Tossing the phone back, he swiftly then leaves. Doc scrambles to catch his phone as it almost meets the cold floor. With a sigh, he looks at his arm to see what was carved. 

**_WORTHLESS_ **

Looking at the word in horror, he cries softly, hanging his head down in despair. When he sees a blood about to drip down, he quickly pulls the sleeve down, feeling the clothing stick to the blood. 

The bell rings. 

Doc tries to get up but falls as his legs give up on him. But instead of hitting the ground, warm arms are around his hip, helping him stand. He looks up to see Ren in front of him, close as he helps Doc help up. When Doc is successfully up, he looks at Ren in shock, _Why is he here?!_

“I knew it, Beef is such a bad liar. Look at this, he probably beat you up here… I’m sorry I couldn’t come. Etho convinced us that it was okay and basically forced us to stay… but my gut told me no… I’m so sorry…” Doc hears Ren whispers and his arm is brought over Ren’s neck. 

In the next moment, Doc found himself being led to the nurse’s office by Ren. Once they reached the office, the nurse was not present so Ren stayed, even after Doc insisted otherwise. Ren just gave Doc a sad smile and simply said, “It’s the least I can do. Hey why don’t you give me your number, that way you can text me if you go into trouble again. Well I hope there is no need but… we can also talk?” He then has his phone out to Doc. 

Doc nods and grabs the phone, inserting his number into the contact Ren already made. Once giving it back, he ignores the flutter in his heart as his hand brushes against Ren’s. _He just practically dragged you to the office, why feel something then? Am I okay? Obviously not but-_

Suddenly, Doc’s phone vibrates in his hoodie pocket. Taking it out, he sees that Ren had texted him: o/

“You need my number too so…” Ren says awkwardly with a nervous smile. 

Doc lets out a small laugh, giving Ren a warm smile, “Thank you.”

Soon the nurse arrives and Ren is sent back to his class with a late pass, while Doc is sent home. Since Ren was already gone, when the nurse asked him what had occurred, he replied as a trip down a flight of stairs. The nurse chuckled at his “clumsiness” and had called his mother since he looked to be in a bad shape. Doc’s mother was all over him when he explained that he fell down a flight of stairs, scolding him to be more careful. Before he could refuse, his mother told him that she’ll be making him stay home tomorrow and a home doctor would come in the morning. 

When he argued about homework, saying that missing a day was too much make up work, she did not change her decision. 

“I have a friend of mine who moved here before us and has a kid who goes to your school. I’ll ask her if she can task the boy to get your work for you. I’ll send her your schedule. You mister, are staying home and resting.” His mother decided in a stern voice. Not leaving room for arguments, but Doc still tried. 

“But mom-” He attempted to argue. 

His mom stopped the car, looking at him in the eye, “No.” Doc shuts his mouth and looks down, looking out the window to realize that they were home. He quickly leaves the car and stumbles to the door, struggling to find his key to the door. Once he finds it and opens the door, he looks back to see his mother already driving off, back to work. 

Deciding to clean himself, he ignores his body screaming at him in pain and takes a shower, hissing as the warm water hits the new cuts. After washing himself, he throws his clothes into the laundry machine and starts it up, not wanting the blood stain to last. Changing into his pajamas, he then goes to his desk and starts the homework he was already assigned. 

Working until finished with all of school, or the amount he could do, he looks at his phone to see two new messages. One was from his mother, telling him to cook himself something since she was coming home late and eating out with his father. The other message had him on his toes.

It was from Ren, reading: Hey it’s Ren. How are you feeling? Sent 6:56 p.m.

Doc bit his lip, unknowing how to reply. With a deep breath, he texts back: Not too bad. Just finished homework and emailed the last two teachers. Wbu? Sent 7:49 p.m.

Ren responded quickly: Bored. Free to chat? Sent 7:50 p.m.

Smiling Doc jumped into his bed and texted back: Yep Sent 7:50 p.m.

In the next two hours, he texted Ren, chatting about random topics. Ren even convinced him to make macaroni for dinner, sharing Doc his recipe. Doc ate dinner that day with a smile, relishing each bite. At 10 p.m. Ren had to go and finish his leftover homework, leaving Doc alone to his thoughts. 

\-------

It was the next day, Doc having slept while thinking of Ren and denying his feelings. He woke up to his alarm, no nightmare appeared this time. Feeling well rested, Doc gets ready and when he goes to grab his bag, he then remembers his mother’s words. 

Groaning, Doc slumps back at his bed and mutters, “I can walk fine, I just have a small limp and a headache. Why can’t she just let me go back to school…”

He takes his phone out and checks for emails from any teachers, there were none. With a sigh, he tries to go downstairs with his bag and laptop, stumbling with the extra weight, he feels pain jolt up in his gut but continues walking down, ignoring the waves of pain. Once reaching the living room, he sits on the couch and sets the objects to the side. 

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. All Doc did was either study, check emails, and study some coding programs on his laptop. He felt guilty if he played games or watched videos when it was still a school day. The doctor visited at one point, giving him a few painkillers and informing him that there was nothing serious. Doc made sure his arms were not checked, knowing the reaction he would get. Doc pretended and brushed off the need to check his arms and it was a relief the doctor also found it okay since he had more important issues to deal with that day. 

At 3:10 p.m. Ren texted him: Why weren’t you at school today? Sent 3:10 p.m.

Doc realizing he never told Ren, he replies: Mom forced me to stay home for a day, and will be back tomorrow. Sent 3:11p.m.

The doorbell rang, startling Doc. He had forgotten that someone was to be coming to hand him his missed work. Quickly texting Ren that he had to go, he stumbles his way to the door, still feeling pain through his body. He had not taken the painkillers yet and the doctor did not force him to that instant so he just stashed them in a hidden container within his room. 

Doc opens the door, expecting a stranger. Instead, there is Etho standing there awkwardly. 

“Hey Doc… mind letting me in?” Etho asks, a nervous smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a journey. Hm... I think I chased away anyone who stans Beef. hhh- I'm sorry
> 
> By the way, I want to point out, TFC is not the homeless man. Nope, it's just a stranger. :V


	5. Chapter 4

Letting out a sigh, Doc quietly said, “To be honest with you, yes. I do in fact mind letting you in. Can you just give me the work and go?”

Etho ignores him and pushes him aside, letting himself in. Taking off his shoes, he places them neatly next to the rack of shoes. Doc simply stares with dull eyes, his arms moving automatically and shutting the door, locking it. 

“You would always tell us to take our shoes off, it was quite funny. Your mom is such a clean freak, I remember.” Etho reminisced as he looked around the house with his eyes. “Nice house, once again very big.” He continued.

Doc put his hands in his hoodie pocket to attempt at hiding the shaking. With an involuntary shaky voice, he replies, “Can’t blame her, it’s hygienic. Can we make this quick, please.”

Etho looks at Doc, narrowing his eyes, “Don’t tell me what to do. I’m staying until I’m done.”

Stiffening, Doc nods and gestures to Etho to follow him, leading him to his little area in the living room. Sitting down, he moves his bag and laptop to the left of him, clearing space on the right. Etho sits once Doc is done and takes his backpack off, taking out a folder. 

“All of your work and explanation of the day is in here for each class. So yeah, that’s done.” Etho says while handing him the folder. 

Doc takes the folder and empties out the contents before giving him the folder back. Etho neatly inserts the folder back inside his bag, both silent throughout the whole process.

Etho turns to Doc, looking at him with softer eyes. “I didn’t come here just for that though. Now let’s talk, Beef already told me everything. But I know you, why would you get rid of your money like that? I’m aware you know that Beef sometimes has finance trouble and has to pay off some things to the office. Why would you do something so reckless like that? Even if we just came back in your life, shouldn’t you know that Beef would resort to you when another money problem came?”

Doc looked down, Etho always had a way in making him feel bad. Feeling guilty, he replied, “I forgot and it was only the second day, I didn't think much of it. When I was going to school, I gave it away to a homeless person, I didn’t know Beef would need help the same day… sorry.”

“Look at me, Doc.” Etho said, but had a sweet tone to his voice. 

Looking up, Doc made eye contact with Etho. He felt his heart tighten, guilt swarmed his mind, not able to think straight. _How does he still do this to me, how can he control my emotions like that…_ With a sigh, Etho grabs Doc’s hand, making him jump and flinch away. Etho ignores it and grasps it tightly but in a sweet manner. 

“Listen, you know that I still care about you right?” Etho asks him, a small smile present. 

Doc gulps, and looks down once again, “I… yeah… I know...” _Doesn’t feel like it though._

Etho lifts Doc’s head up by his chin, “I don’t know why Beef was like that, that was really out of character for him. **_I_ ** was even shocked by that. Look, I spoke with him today, and convinced him to let you stay. The others seem to also already like you so it’ll be hard to make you go away without someone acting out.” The sweet smile disappears, “But, in condition you have to listen to us. Beef will do whatever he wants with you and so will I, just like before. Except this time, you get something in return, friends. Alright? Does that sound good?”

With a small nod, Doc forces out a smile, “Yeah… sounds good.” The look Etho gave made it evident that he had no choice within the matter. Letting out a shaky breath, Doc asks Etho, “Is that it?” 

“Nope, I have one more job to do. Beef needs about a hundred dollars, do you think you can give him some help with that?” Etho replies, standing up and walking around the room. 

Knowing it would benefit him to get Beef off his back, Doc goes to his room and opens his savings. He takes out a hundred dollar bill and replaces it with a sticky note that wrote how much he owed the savings box. When he walked back downstairs, Etho was there holding his phone. Ignoring the pain that shot up, Doc runs over and snatches it back, shoving the money at Ethos hands. 

“Wh-why were you on my phone.” Doc asks, stuttering when he sees a small dark glint in Etho’s normally sweet eyes. The usual smile that could be seen clearly was gone through the thin mask, fear striking Doc once more. Whenever Etho did not smile, something was always up.

Etho ignores Doc, asking a question of his own, “When did you get Ren’s number?”

Gulping, he answers quietly, “Yesterday when he brought me to the office.” Doc prepared himself mentally for a beating, he assumed Etho was mad at him for befriending Ren before the deal. 

On the contrary, he only nods slightly and puts the money in his pocket. Etho packs his bag and leaves to the door, silently. Without a word, Etho unlocks the door and leaves the house. Doc lets out a breath he did not know he was holding. He checks his phone and notices that Etho had added his contact, a message already sent to Etho that just read:  Doc.  _I should really put a password to this phone of mine…_

  
  


The rest of the day ended as fast as it began. Doc worked until he finished all the work he needed to do, trying to distract himself. Once he finished, it was 2 a.m. and Doc was not exhausted. He was too worked up, too fearful of going to school the next day that he just could not let himself sleep. If he did, time would skip and he would be approaching the danger faster. Doc opened his phone again, looking at the message Beef had sent him a few hours before. 

It read:  Meet at Slearcreek alleyway after school asap. Go to the dead end next to the bankrupted closed clothing shop, Feelin’ Fab. I need to destress. Sent 8:24 p.m. 

Scared out of his mind, Doc contemplated his decisions with Etho. _If I said no, would he have allowed me to be a loner and not deal with this?_ Tears began to fall and Doc went to his bed, going to his side and letting himself cry onto the pillow. Soon he fell asleep, his sleep deprivation having caught up with him. 

\------

This sequence repeated for two months. Every Friday, he met Beef in the alleyway to just get beaten by him, being a destress punching bag. He never heard Beef’s muttering when a fist came his way. Doc never questioned the true intentions, just accepting it as a price for having friends. Etho didn’t contact him yet surprisingly, probably letting Beef have his fun. During lunches, Beef was instructed to stay away from Doc, nothing else occurred. They would alway play a game and he noticed that Ren would shoot Beef a glare a few times, but nothing ever happened. 

Ren and Doc texted each other often, and played games with each other on the computer. A few times, Doc went out on the weekends to hang out with the hermits. However, this sequence was draining to him, the beating was taking a toll onto him. Sometimes early in the morning, sometimes after school, and always on Friday. It was not this severe in Doc’s former school because Doc was not signed in a contract with Etho. He did not have friends, so he always tried to maneuver away from harmful situations and stay alone, not go to them multiple times a week. 

  
  


School just ended and Doc was now headed to the dead end of Slearcreek alleyway. The day went by quickly, it was mostly all a blur since he was too tired to pay attention. He did not sleep that day, so he wanted to go home and collapse on his bed already. Doc arrived at the dead end, seeing Beef already there. Mentally sighing Doc readied himself, _Just get through one more. Then you will have two full days without them! Cmon, it will be over in a flash._

“Took your damn time did you? Whatever, at least you’re here now.” Beef growled out, walking towards Doc. 

Doc walked backwards in fear, he could never get used to the terrified feeling. To his dismay, Beef was close enough to him and grabbed his wrist. Doc hissed with pain, it was the wrist with the cuts. Ignoring Doc, Beef swung him across and into the end of the alleyway, lifting his knee to meet with Doc’s stomach. Slowly, Beef put more pressure into the stomach with his knee. 

“I want you to admit it. I want to hear it from your mouth.” Beef sneered, before lifting his knee out. 

Coughing, Doc mustered out, “Wh-what do you m-mean? A-admit what?” He was flustered to say the least. For the first time in the two months that this had been going on, Beef spoke to him during the destress session. 

Beef punched Doc’s stomach, making him cough out more and fall forward. Not wanting Doc to fall onto him, Beef kicks him in the right to make him fall to the side. Doc hit’s his head onto the cold ground, hard. Gasping with pain, he puts his hands to his head. Eyes widen in panic when he feels a wet part on his head. Doc quickly looks at his hands to see red liquid smeared onto it. 

This was alarming and Beef should have stopped then. But he was too angry, too blinded with rage, that he did not see the bleeding head. Grabbing the collar of Doc’s hoodie, Beef pulls him up and shouts, “Admit it Doc! Admit that it was your fault! You watched my mom die! You didn’t try anything! It was all your fault!” Tears began to fall down Beef’s eyes. 

Letting go of Doc, Beef turns and runs away, not wanting to show Doc his crying face. And to Doc’s dismay, Beef did not see the bleeding head, he did not see the drips of blood on the floor. He did not stay to see Doc fall, hitting his head again onto the cold pavement again but not as harsh as the first. Doc was in shock and panicking, adrenaline high that he could not feel the pain. Guilt flooded him from Beef’s words but he decided that those thoughts must wait. First, he needed help. _I can’t die just yet, I want Ren to know… to at least know before I go._

“Please pick up, please please please…” Doc chanted, phone to his ear. Tears started to fall from his eyes. 

A click came from the phone, “Hello? Doc? What’s up, isn’t Beef with you now?”

Sitting up and leaning against the wall, Doc almost shouted in relief. “Etho! Oh thank Xelqua- uh I don’t know what happened but I’m in trouble right now. Beef is gone, he uh- left early and I’m bleeding on my uh- head I think. Can you please help me, please? You’re the only one who knows the location, I don’t want to die. I can’t move, please help me. I’m sorry for everything, I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry, I’m not ready, I can’t die. Please!” He begged, panting heavily and crying harder. Doc could not understand why he wanted to survive so badly, why he did not accept it like he told himself he would. 

“Woah! Uh, calm down, I’m coming. I couldn’t hear half of your words since you spoke so quickly but I got the gist of it. Don’t worry, dad’s a doctor so I know some things that might help. Try to stay awake, be right there!” Etho replied quickly. Rustling could be heard and Doc heard a faint, “Shit! Where is it! Agh, what did Beef do? I swear to Xelqua I’m gonna kill him…” before Etho ended the line. 

Relief flooding through him, Doc feels overwhelming exhaustion hit him. Etho’s instructions of staying awake didn’t register into his brain. The small growing pain in his head disappeared as he fell asleep, hand still holding the phone. 

  
  


Etho arrived at the scene a few minutes later in his car, running over to the unconscious Doc. The head wound was not too severe with minimal blood loss. Bandaging Doc’s head, Etho picks him up in bridal style and carries him to the car. Etho drives to his house and brings Doc into his room, tending his wounds more and properly treating the head as well. 

Sighing, Etho calls Beef and scolds him, but does not do anything else. He understood where Beef was coming from, why he did it. Besides, Etho knew Beef did not mean to since he always avoided hitting the face. Hitting the face would cause a hassle and bring a higher chance at accidentally murdering him since Beef was pretty strong, pure strength wise. 

Mismatched eyes look at the sleeping figure, “Why did you come here, out of all places…” A hand is placed on the forehead of the unconscious cyborg and lips kiss the back of the hand before the boy walks away. 

\-------

Doc woke up in a start, panting heavily from a nightmare. Looking around, he panics as he realizes that this was an unknown place. Then his eyes land on Etho, standing by the door looking at him blankly with his mask off. 

Giving a sweet smile, Etho says, “Finally up now are you? Well get up, time for you to get home.”

Connecting the dots together, Doc springs up and grabs his bag and phone, both on the side table next to the bed. He opens his phone and sees that it’s 6:38 p.m., his parents weren’t home yet. Letting out a sigh in relief, he looks at Etho and thanks him quietly. 

Rolling his eyes, Etho takes Doc’s hand and drags him out the house, along the way saying, “Your place isn’t far from here so you can walk. I walked home last time and it took less than thirty minutes. By the way, I only helped you because otherwise, Beef would go to jail and I want none of that shit. Now get moving, I may have been going easy on you for now…” Etho leans in and whispers to Doc’s ear, “... but don’t forget what I am capable of, I still have the syringe and the mixture waiting.”

Feeling blood drain from his face, Doc nods and quickly bolts out, speed walking to his house. He was grateful of course to Etho, but at the same time he was absolutely terrified of him. _What’s he playing at_? Doc questions to himself. This was because Etho had not mentioned a single comment about having to owe him something. That was very odd since Etho always told him that, always told him that phrase whenever he helped Doc. Dread filled his stomach. Once home, he goes to his computer and notices that some hermits were online and chatting in a voice call. Wanting to distract himself, Doc joins the call and wears his headphones, “Hey guys, what are you all up to?”

Later that night, Doc cried silently on his bed, wishing to get out of this hell. 

_This is so draining… I’m tired of this._

Then he opened his mouth and quietly sang to himself, it was a song he wrote when he was ten. 

  
  


_One two three_

_Just wait and you’ll see_

_Four five six_

_Oh no where’s the next_

_Seven is lost_

_Within the rain_

_Eight nine ten_

_Out in the cold_

_Trying to find_

_The very lost soul_

_One two three_

_They cannot breathe_

_Four five six_

_One’s missing in the mix_

_Eight nine ten_

_Their hearts in a wrench_

_But then a cry is heard_

_In the faraway land_

_Seven was there_

_Lost in the rain_

_One two three_

_Let go and be free_

_Four five six_

_Show off your new tricks_

_Seven eight nine_

_No need to wait in line_

_As you count the numbers_

_Till you meet your partner_

\-------

It was Saturday afternoon, Ren was out in the shopping district with Stress, Iskall, and False. He had messaged Doc if he wanted to join, but Doc declined the offer, making Ren feel a little disappointed. 

Ren had a small crush on Doc, but he had convinced himself that it would go away slowly. He did not even understand how it came to be, just at one point he realized his feelings when they were hanging out. Doc’s laugh made his heart jump and with this new sensation, he was definitely confused at first. With time and a talk with his parents, he realized the little crush he had on Doc, but ignored it and just wished it would disappear soon. Even his parents advised him to go for it, but he ignored their words. Afterall, what were the chances that Doc would not only fancy guys as well, but also like Ren back? Not that high according to Ren. 

At the moment, Stress was trying to convince Iskall to buy a dress for himself while False and Ren were outside the shop, waiting on the benches. Both were quiet, looking at their phones, listening to the loud couple in the background. A faint “Please not pink, that’s your thing, not mine!” could be heard from the shop by Iskall. 

“So Ren… are you bi?” False suddenly spoke up, startling Ren. 

Ren whipped his head around to False, flustered, “Wh-what? No? Where did that outburst come from my dude?” 

False was now looking up from her phone and smirked at Ren, “I don’t know… maybe the way you look at Doc? Maybe how you basically try to hog him all the time?” 

Shaking his head, Ren denies, “No no no no, we are just friends! I just want to be there in case Beef tries anything again, you know? In case he “mistakes” Doc as someone else again. And I do not look at Doc differently that I do to anyone else! I don’t know what you are on about.”

“I know you are just friends, but do you want something _more_ with him?” She replies with a giggle. 

Ren’s face becomes red, “What? No… I’m not… I mean even if I did, what are the chances that he likes me back? Zero.”

Grinning wide, False exclaims, “I knew it!” Then in a whisper, she continues, “You like him don’t you?”

Covering his red face into his hands, Ren nods and mutters, “Why are you even asking? I’m just going to wait it off.”

She puts her arm around his neck, “No you won’t, because I shall be your wingman… no wingwoman! Don’t worry I will help you capture his heart.” Giving Ren a wink she grins even wider somehow. 

This was exciting to False since for once, Ren was not going around asking girls out just to break their heart in a month. For once he was not trying to have fun playing with others’ hearts since he was bored. For once he had a chance at a real relationship. 

Ren just prayed to Xelqua that False does not do anything stupid, but did not make an attempt to stop her. _I mean, I could at least try right?_

Before False could continue and embarrass Ren further, Stress appeared in front of him with a shopping bag. Iskall trailed behind slowly, dragging his feet along the floor. His excited eyes betrayed his miserable body language. 

“We are back from Get Gorgeous and Iskall finally agreed! He even helped me pick out the dress! False you are a genius with this idea.” Stress exclaims with excitement, jumping up and down. 

Chuckling, Iskall grabs Stress’s hand and says, “Practically forced to since you threatened to dump glitter all over my room next time you come over. Can’t have that y'know?”

The small group laughed and made more jokes as they walked around the shopping mall some more. After an hour of walking around and some shopping, they all decide to rest somewhere. Finding an ice cream shop, they enter and everyone orders an ice cream of their own to consume during their rest. Once they find a vacant booth, Ren sits down with Iskall. However, False ushers Iskall out and replaces his spot, making Ren nervous about what she is planning. Iskall on the other hand brushes it off and happily sits next to Stress, wrapping an arm around her waist. 

Silence envelops the group, either checking their phone or just eating their ice scream in peace. Taking a bite of his ice cream, Ren instantly feels relaxed as the cool sweet goodness enters his body. The peaceful bliss ends as Ren gets a text on his phone, when he looks at the notification it was from False:  Can I tell them? They can help us come with ideas, you know? Sent 3:56 p.m. 

Instead of texting back, Ren mutters a quiet “Yeah” to False. Afterall, the more brains the better right? Ren internally groaned, _I can’t believe I’m doing this. This better not be a mistake, I don’t want to lose Doc._

False breaks the peaceful silence, “So guys, guess what? Ren has a small little crush on someone~”

Iskall is the first to raise his head and look at Ren, “Hm? You have a crush? On who?”

Ren shoves a big bite of ice cream into his mouth, signaling to False that he would not be the one doing the talking. Stress giggles at the act, shifting her gaze to False for an explanation. 

“It’s Doc.” False simply says, a smirk evident on her face. 

Raising an eyebrow, Iskall questions Ren, “Since when were you into dudes?”

Before Ren can reply, Stress also asks, “Is that why you are by his side every second?”, giggling as Ren’s face becomes a little red. 

Huffing, Ren replies, dismissing Stress and answering Iskall thoughtfully, “I don’t do that… but uh I don’t actually know? Like this whole being bi thing is new to me. I never thought I would be into dudes, maybe it’s just Doc? I don’t know, maybe I lean more towards females but have some attraction to males, explaining Doc. That’s what my mom said at least.”

Stress nods her head in understandment, “I see, well I am overjoyed at this news Ren!” 

“I know right? Like, it’s been so long since you went after someone genuinely instead of just their looks and stuff you know?” False says in agreement. 

Groaning, Ren covering his face in his hands, muffling out, “I’m not like that anymore. I stopped a year ago. You can stop resurfacing my stupidity.”

Iskall decides to pipe back in, “I mean, to be fair Ren, that’s all the dating information we have of you. Like ‘Ren the heartbreaker’ because you always broke their hearts in a way.”

Glaring at Iskall, Ren replies, “I’m aware but like I said, I’ve stopped.”

Stress reaches over the table and pokes Ren’s nose. Letting out a startled noise, the group starts laughing as Ren’s face becomes beet red. 

“Wh-what was that for?” He asks while shoving more ice cream into his mouth, attempting to cool down his face. 

Saying between laughs, Stress replies, “You had such a serious face, I couldn’t resist!”

False calming down first, quickly finishes her ice cream. “Okay, but I didn’t bring up this for some random talk. I was wondering, could you help me, the official wingwoman, with Ren’s little crush?” 

Grinning, Iskall says, “Of course! I mean, I already successfully matched myself with this gorgeous woman here, and earlier today I successfully finished my job as a wingman for both Mumbo and Grian. They both are clueless chickens, it’s hilarious.”

Immediately, Stress exclaims, “Oh my goodness! Good for them! But Iskall, love, did they want it public yet?”

“Oops… don’t speak a word about what I just said?” Iskall nervously asks, the pride in his eyes fading.

Ren and False give out a small laugh and both nod their heads in agreement. It was not their place to tell anyway. 

The small group of four stay in the ice cream shop for about an hour, busy discussing what they should do to make Doc fall in love with Ren. The three were a little too escentric with their ideas, Ren having to shut down almost every idea for it was either too out of character for him, too dangerous, quite near impossible, etcetera. 

In the end, they came up with nothing special except for Ren to try and hint at Doc and flirt, or in Iskall’s terms, “Do the flirty eyes of doom.” Walking out of the shop finally, they decide to stop by a game store and a cafe before departing to their own homes. In the game store, Stress is helping Iskall pick out a game, False casually observing the shelves to see if any caught her eye, and Ren studied some of the shelves, trying to find one for Doc. With the time he had spent with Doc, he had already gathered that Doc loved playing games so this would be a nice gift to give. Granted, Doc’s birthday was in the summer, several months away, but a random gift should be fine, right? 

_Stop overthinking, you do this to your other friends time to time so there’s no harm in this._

Ren finds a dungeon game and grabs it, feeling confident about the choice after reading the summary a few times. Walking to the checkout station, a green plush catches his eye. Looking at it more closely, it turns out to be a blocky plush with four short stump legs. The face of the plush reminded Ren of Impulse’s shirt front. Humming softly, he grabs the plush and looks at the tag, it read “ Creeper Plush - $29.99 ”

Smiling to himself, he thinks, It wouldn’t hurt to toss this along with the game. Looking off into the void, he imagines Doc sleeping softly while hugging the plush. Grinning he goes to the checkout and buys the game with the plush. _That was too cute, now I can’t not get this for Doc._

False is waiting for Ren when he walks out, having bought herself a small blue minecraft sheep plush. The plush was sticking its head out of her arm as she scrolled through her phone. 

“Hey False, no game?” Ren asks.

Shaking her head, she replies, “Nah, nothing new seems interesting.”

Humming, Ren leans against a railing. False puts her phone away and looks over at the bag Ren held, “Oh what did ya by? Something for Doc I suppose like I suggested?”

With a smile, Ren nods, “I got him this cool dungeon game.”

“Nothing else?” False questions. 

Hiding the bag behind him now, Ren denies, “Nope.” False could clearly see that there was something else in the bag, but could not tell what it was.

Narrowed eyes stare back at Ren. False smirks and opens her mouth but before she can say anything, Stress interrupts her. “C'mon guys! Let’s go to the cafe and hang for maybe ten more minutes until we all gotta say bye. Iskall is a bit of a grump at the moment and is going to be going home early himself.”

“Oh okay, is he already gone or can I still say bye? Also isn’t he your ride home?” Ren replies instantly. 

Stress freezes and lets out quiet swear. Already running off, she shouts, “Well change of plans! I gotta go run! See you at school, bye!”

Greeting off the frantic Stress, False chuckles and says, “Still want some drinks or nah? Cause I feel like going home now as well to be honest with you.”

Ren shrugs, “I still need to go to the cafe and see if my brother needs a hand. You can go home early, don’t worry. I saw you online at three in the morning when I went for a bathroom break so I’m just surprised you aren’t dozing off!”

Laughing, False gives a short thanks before walking off to her house which was not too far away. Ren walks to the opposite direction where the cafe is, wondering how Doc would react to the gift. When he reaches the vicinity of the cafe, he hears screaming and a ruckus going on outside the cafe. Worried and curious, Ren jogs closer to find an interesting surprise within the small crowd of people. 

There was Doc sitting on the ground, his face buried in his knees. His hands were at his ears and he screamed phrases such as “Get away!” and “Don’t touch me!” with tears running down his face. Acting fast, Ren saw his brother trying to help Doc and ran up to him, getting on his knees in front of Doc. 

In a commanding voice, Ren tells his cousin, “Jono, disperse the crowd away and I’ll try to help him. He’s my friend, trust me on this one.”

With a nod, Jono gets up and shouts at the small crowd to go on with their lives, shooing them away. The people wanted to watch but there was clear warning in the cafe worker’s voice to leave, so the crowd was most successfully gone with a few strays about. 

Doc sat there panting heavily and fast, screaming once again at Ren to stay away from him. Ren, having recognized the situation as a mental attack of some kind, rubs Doc’s back and gently removes one hand from Doc’s ear. Whispering sweet nothings of “You’re okay.” and “You’re safe.”, Doc shows some signs of calming. Using this, Ren sets down Doc’s other hand from his ear and gently hugs Doc, continuing to whisper sweet words into his ear. In response, Doc buries his head into Ren’s chest and cries, but softly and minus the screaming. 

Feeling confused by the whole situation but determined to help Doc, Ren just rubs Doc’s back and repeats phrases of “It’s okay, I’m here.” and “Let it out.” Once Doc is done and busy trying to stop his hiccups, Ren chuckles and removes Doc from his embrace. However, what he sees almost breaks his heart, Doc is sitting there with such a broken expression and tearstruck face that Ren almost just embraces him again. But, he stops himself and helps Doc stand up, leading him away from the cafe. He wanted to bring him inside but his gut screamed at him not to so instead, Ren led Doc away and to a set of benches a few paces away next to a fountain. 

Sitting Doc down, Ren crouches in front of him. “Hey… look at me. It’s me, Ren. Are you okay now?” Ren asks in a soft voice, holding Doc’s hands reassuringly. 

Doc nods and tightens the hold on the hands, “Yeah I’m fine. Thank you… Thank you for helping me.”

“No problem man, anything for you.” Ren replies with a smile, sitting next to Doc now. 

Ren turns his body towards Doc and turns Doc’s head to face his, “You don’t have to say but I gotta ask, what happened? All I saw was you having an attack of some kind.”

Stiffening, Doc‘s gaze went down, not looking at Ren’s eyes anymore. “It’s nothing.”

Suddenly Doc found himself in Ren’s embrace once again. After a few seconds, Ren lets go and puts a hand to Doc’s cheek and gives a soft smile, “Whenever someone says nothing, it’s always something. No need to tell me what happened, but a hug can be a good replacement right?” 

The heart within Doc fluttered and felt warm. With a sigh, Doc looks up to the sky, _I should tell him. Just leave out the incriminating parts and you’ll be set._ Looking back at Ren, he replies, “Can I tell you about it at my house?”

Giving a warm gentle smile, Ren grabs Doc’s hand, “Of course. Besides, my parents are gone for a short work related trip so I have all the time in the world.”, reassuring him of any time complications that may occur. 

“Good, because it may take awhile.” Doc mutters to himself, but Ren hears through his sensitive hearing. 

\-------

A figure watched the ponytailed male comfort the cyborg. 

**_How dare you go to him, you should be crawling back to me for help._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chance is not as small as you may think Ren... ;)
> 
> Welp, that was another ride, Hope you enjoyed!  
> (maybe you found all of the obvious and the small hidden easter eggs ;3)
> 
> By the way, I may take longer on the next update because I got other life things I must tend to as well. Sadly, writing all day cannot be all I do with my life. 
> 
> Also, another thing. I am thinking this story will be maybe 19 chapters in total, excluding the Prologue. Idk still but around there I suppose.


	6. Chapter 5

The walk to Doc’s house was silent. Ren zoned out until Doc stopped in front of a house, then he looked around. The neighborhood looked familiar, but he couldn’t place his finger on why. Ignoring the strange familiar feeling, he directs his attention back to Doc and worry floods back into him. 

Doc felt himself go slowly pale when they were walking to his house. Involuntarily, he started shaking a little and he hoped Ren would not notice. He noticed.

_ Why did I say that? I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. He’ll hate me, he’ll despise me, he’ll see how pathetic and worthless I am. I should’ve pushed him away, I should’ve stopped myself. How can I back away from this? I want to tell him, someone… but it’ll show how pathetic I am, how weak I am. I’ll be alone again. I don’t want to be alone again… please Xelqua help me… What do I do? _

Ren grabs Doc’s hand, making him jump from his thoughts. “Hey… you okay? You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. I’m just here to help, no need to push yourself.” he says with a gentle smile. 

With a stiff nod, Doc gets his keys out and opens the door. Taking his shoes off, he points to the floor, “My mom is about cleanliness so we have to take our shoes off. Is that fine?”

Neatly setting his shoes to the side where Doc had put his, Ren replies, “Of course, not like I need them to survive. I do the same at my house as well.”

Silence befalls the duo once again. While Doc escorts Ren to his room, Ren looks around the house along the way. The house is very spacious and ginormous, the decorations and sparkling chandeliers catching Ren’s attention. Even just the atmosphere in the house held an expensive aura, a little imitating if you asked him. To be fair, it was not like Ren was poor, it was just that Doc’s parents were beyond rich. His eyes stop wandering around when they stop walking in front of a room. Doc opens the door and Ren’s eyes dart everywhere once again, observing the room. 

Dark gray paint covered the walls, fitting the mechanical and high tech feeling the room gave. Sci-fi decorations littered along the walls and the window was shut, covered with the metal shutter, red lines within to decorate the otherwise dull metal sheet. A big desk stood in front of the window, a computer set up with three monitors and a laptop on top of it. The chair was the typical gaming chair and there was a giant bean bag near the closet. The bed was on the opposite wall and it had green sheets with a black blanket. Those were the only normal objects as the rest of the room had mechanical parts in bins, unfinished projects on top of shelves, and more. 

The grip Ren had on his bag from the game store tightens, there was no plushy or stuffed animal in sight. The validity of buying the “Creeper” plush crossed his mind.  _ I made a mistake buying this didn’t I? I’m going to embarrass myself if I give this… what was I thinking? _ He thought to himself. Hiding the bag behind himself, he tied the bag to his belt when Doc was not looking. 

Doc sat on his bed with a sigh and patted the space next to him, “Uh- do you want to… sit here? Or you can sit on the bean bag… or the chair… uh- sit wherever you please.”

Chuckling, Ren sits down next to Doc on the bed, “I don’t mind sitting here with you.” Without a thought, Ren puts his arm around Doc’s waist, “So, are you okay with talking about what just happened?”

Doc’s stiff nature dissipates from the comfortable and warm feeling Ren’s presence gives. Relishing in the comfort, Doc is able to quietly calm himself physically and replies, “Yeah, I think… maybe. Uh, can you just ask me questions or something because I don’t even know what’s going on anymore…”

A soft hum leaves Ren’s mouth as he nods, afterwards asking, “Well first I want to know if you’re okay. If not then disregard this next question since I want to help you become okay. What was the panic attack of? You were in front of a cafe but your eyes looked so scared… I don’t know… I guess I never thought someone can be so frightened within the vicinity of a cafe since it is supposed to be a peaceful mellow place.”

Leaning his body back into the wall, Doc replies while stuttering a little, “I’m okay, yeah. And uh… i-it reminded me of somewhere else… where I became a-a cyborg actually. I-I… Usually when I am reminded of the accident… I’m fine. Bu-but this time it felt as if I was there again, as if it was all happening again. I could feel the pain, the horrid pain… but this time the people acted differently. Instead of helping or anything… they just all looked at me with that same expression. A-and the things they said… the things they did… S-sorry… I’m saying too much aren’t I?” A few stray tears fall from Doc’s eye. 

Shaking his head, Ren pulls Doc into his chest and hugs him. Wiping the tears off of Doc’s face, Ren speaks in a soft tone, “No no, you aren’t. Besides, I am more than willing to be the ears for any vents if you need. I’m not asking for no reason, I care for you and I’ll try my best to help you with whatever you are going through right now. No rush or need to tell me everything, just go at your own pace, I just want to support you. You mean a lot to me Doc, if you are holding your troubles in a baggage, I want to help you carry the baggage through life.”

Doc’s face is still buried into Ren’s chest when he muffles out, “Thank you, the kindness you always give me is overwhelming… thank you.”

Silence envelops the atmosphere once again. The duo had changed positions, Ren was using the wall as back support and sitting on the bed, scooted back more so his feet could not touch the floor. Doc was facing sideways of Ren and in front of him, in between his legs. The left side of Doc’s face was on Ren’s chest as he leaned onto Ren. 

**How did this come to be? Don’t ask me, the author, ask Ren. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

The position made Doc’s face go a little red from embarrassment and at first, he refused to subject himself to such a position. Nevertheless, Ren insisted that it would be easier to comfort him that way so Doc complied. Ren was not lying on that excuse, but he would be lying if he said it was the only reason. 

Breaking the silence, Ren speaks up, “So… are you comfortable telling me what happened in the cafe that reminded you of your mechanical parts? Sorry, I’m just still a bit confused here.”

_ It’s now or never… at least explain something… properly. _ Doc convinces himself. 

With a deep breath, Doc replies, “Uhm, I was hit by a car in front of a cafe. Apparently the driver was drunk and slept while driving. Anyway, the cafe… it looked exactly like the one here. I mean, it makes sense since it’s the same brand but… it looked too similar that I just got taken back to when it happened.” Doc straightens up and points to his metal arm, “My arm was practically destroyed to an oblivion from the impact. It hurt like heck and usually, at one point you would think I would stop feeling my arm or something, become unconscious, but I didn’t. I felt everything, and it hurt. I remember begging the universe to fall unconscious, pass out or something to end the pain. I even tried to force myself to sleep in the wreck but the pain was… it was too much that I couldn’t just ignore it and pass out.” 

Tears begin to fall through Doc’s eyes but he attempts to blink them away, there is a foggy glaze in his eye Ren notices. Fighting the urge to hug the other, Ren instead grabs Doc’s hand. If he went ahead and just embraced him, it would be interrupting him. Ren could tell that Doc felt determined to speak so he did not want to stop the other. Admittedly, another reason was because he was curious and wanted Doc to finish. He squeezes Doc’s hand softly to signal that he is still here, patiently waiting for the other to continue. 

Returning the small squeeze, Doc adverts his eyes to his lap and with his metal hand, points to his left robotic face. Letting out a shaky sigh, he continues, “Someone found me but instead of helping, bashed my head to a metal bar of some sort. I’m not sure, it was kind of a blur… either way, the impact destroyed my already damaged eye. The feeling of my eye being crushed, my skull cracking a little, my skin and muscles tearing… wasn’t good to say the least. Again, people would think that the pain would have been numb due to adrenaline or shock, however, instead I felt everything. I felt all of the horrid pain and it was so painful that I can easily say that it was the worst physical pain I have ever felt in my life.” The clear voice Doc had been able to muster up disappears as he finishes off, “I-I thought th-that was happening all over again… I felt the pain and I saw a car hitting me, my arm, someone bashing my head… I saw it all so clearly. It was the clearest I had ever seen the event that I just… mentally logged off I guess… ”

Questions flew through Ren’s mind, such as  _ Do you know who bashed your head? Why would someone do that? Were you the only one hurt? _ , but he left them be since he knew better than to demand answers that Doc may not even know himself. Understanding that Doc could and should not force himself to say more, Ren embraces Doc and tries to comfort the man, but no real words escape his mouth. He could only silently rub circles on Doc’s back and repeat “It’s okay, you are okay.” Nothing crosses his mind on what else to say, his mind still processing the information that was poured onto him. 

“It’s no surprise now but I… have some mental problems.” Doc whispers but Ren hears and opens his mouth to respond, about to reassure Doc of such issue. The words never leave his mouth for his sensitive hearing catches onto another phrase Doc lets out. 

_ “I’m so pathetic I apologize.” _

This was the first time Ren had experienced someone genuinely self deprecating themselves. Sure, they were teenagers and one would think this would come down sooner or later and such assumption is not incorrect. The different factor that made Ren shiver was how genuine it sounded, how broken it sounded, how  _ normal  _ it sounded. Doc had said it as if it was normal for him to believe in such a concept, making Ren’s heart clench. 

Finding his words, Ren responds, “Don’t apologize, you aren’t pathetic. You are strong for being able to go through that. It doesn’t matter to me if you have mental problems, I will help you through them. I know we haven’t known each other for long but I’m still your friend, I’m here for you.”

  
  


The new side of Doc, the broken side of him Ren had encountered did not make him stray away. In the end of it all, Ren found a ball of determination within him and silently vowed to heal Doc. Heal Doc’s broken self and the calamity within the boy, have him find peace once again. 

\-------

The night was calm, but the mind of two was not. 

Once Ren had arrived home, he hid away the gift bag for Doc under his bed. He will give it later. For now however, he had to think through what had just happened and converse with himself on what to do next. 

_ I’m no professional! I’m not a therapist or anything, I don’t know how to approach this properly… agh… I just don’t want to mess this up. I don’t care if he is broken, I’ll fix him… but how exactly?!?! _

Thoughts raced through Ren’s mind, not one thought staying for long before another took its place. With a few deep breaths, soon, his mind is not going at lightning speeds anymore. 

_ Breathe, breathe... think Ren, think! First thing’s first… _

After a few minutes, Ren is writing on a notebook, drawing down a map of the mall. When Ren met Doc, he knew that Doc was a fragile person. That did not stop him from becoming friends and liking the other, but it made him feel more paranoid. He was scared of hurting Doc even more somehow, like making a mistake, so he wanted to keep in mind of all the routes available that avoided cafes. Or more specifically, the cafe where his brother worked at since that is where Doc had his breakdown. There was no need to worry of duplicate stores for the next nearest cafe of the same company resided within the opposite side of the city.

_ I feel like I’m going overboard with this map operation… no… no this is for Doc. Shut up Ren and focus! It’s not like you have anything better to do besides homework- _

Giving Doc some happy memories was one of the main priorities, letting him have fun and genuinely laugh instead of cry. If avoiding a specific cafe would help that then Ren was willing to dedicate an hour or two solidifying the escape routes from the view hold of the cafe. 

_ Now that I look back…  _

It became painfully obvious to Ren when he thought back, reflecting on how different Doc’s smile was from the first few days of school to now. Now that he thought of it, the smiles and laughs had a more forced and fake feeling compared to before. 

_ How could I be so oblivious? How can I even like him if I didn’t notice? I’m so stupid… at least I know now…  _

~

Doc on the other hand was fairing a little worse but at the same time, better, at least in one area. Anyway, Doc felt as if he was going crazy and out of his mind. Mixed emotions flooded him as he questioned everything. 

One: Ren

The whole event with Ren was still fresh in his mind. Everything was so confusing, and Doc could not understand why whenever he saw Ren, he just wanted to spill everything. Let everything go and seek guidance from the other. He could not wrap his finger around the strange feeling he had, as if he could trust Ren. His mind and heart were in conflict. Nevertheless a conclusion would come. 

_ One last time, I will risk it one last time and try to open up to Ren more… let him understand who I really am… I need to admit my sins to someone other than myself for once anyways.  _

Two: Etho and Beef

It’s not like Etho and Beef disappeared, they still exist. Both are also Ren’s friends and have been for a long while, making Doc always frightened. The duo could probably make the whole group of hermits turn against him in an instant. Therefore, of course Doc has to listen to them and endure the beatings Beef gives. 

_ Even though it hurts, even though my will to live deteriorates every time… I want to cherish the feeling of friends before it all goes away again. I just don’t want to be alone again… even though I’m lying to them by not telling them who I am…  _

Etho was also still in the subconscious of his mind. Etho had not acted yet, which was worrying. What is Etho doing, what is he thinking, why is he leaving Doc alone for the most part? Why did he even give Doc the chance to be friends with his friend group, wasn’t he a disgusting creature that should be sent to hell?

_ I’m scared.  _

Three: Out the parents go

On Monday, his father has to go on a business trip for a week. The day after, Tuesday, his mother is leaving for Germany for a few days to take care of his grandmother who had gone ill. This was not a sudden notice nor a strange occurrence, it was a normal situation for Doc. His parents usually had constant business trips so their absence was a normal feeling, but he did not despise it. Doc had admiration and inspiration for his hard working parents, using their absence to be independent and also work hard. 

Though whenever they left, it gave Doc more freedom to do what he pleases. He would find himself looking at his switchblade more often, using it more often. Water would barely go through his system, and food would become nonexistent. 

The lack of self care aside, there was a lagging feeling of worry. Would his grandma be okay? He was the closest with her, closer than his parents. There was a strong connection between the two and he wanted to be in Germany with her, but school prevented such an endeavor. His grandma was the only family member who knew of his sexual preference and accepted him for it. His grandma let him be himself, be free and happy. 

_ You promised that you would be there with me when I would tell them. You promised me you would see me graduate. You promised to be there when I need you. Please be okay.  _

Four: Unknown

Doc was laying at his bed with silent tears running down his eye. It was 3 a.m. and once again, another nightmare plagued his mind. 

A vibration rang from his phone on the counter next to his bed. 

Grabbing the phone, Doc squinted his eye when opening it, lowering the brightness all the way down. Once done being distracted by the blinding light, he sees the notification in the msg app and clicks on it to see what the text was. 

Unknown: Protect your neck. Sweetness does not mean kindness. Sent 3:33 a.m.

“What the… huh?” Doc mutters in confusion.

Before he can type up “wrong number”, another text comes in. 

Unknown: Heed my words Docm77. Sent 3:33 a.m.

Sitting up, Doc feels himself pale.  _ How… what? That’s my gamertag… who is this? _ Doc replies with:  Who are you? Sent 3:34 a.m.

No reply came from the Unknown person. The words stick to Doc’s head, “What does that mean… protect my neck?” An eerie feeling comes down and Doc feels frightened of the situation. Now that it is 100% definitive that sleep would not be coming for the foreseeable future, Doc gets out of bed and decides to go to the bathroom to wash up. 

However, instead of reaching the bathroom, he sinks down to the ground after taking one step. Tears stream down like a waterfall and he curls into himself, the tremble in his body now becoming more violent. 

“I’m scared.”

\------

Sunday went by in a flash with Monday hurling in faster than ever. Within the next coherent thought, it was Monday night. Doc had already scurried and finished his homework and studying for the day so he could help his mother with the chores for the house. 

“And that’s it! Oh yeah, I left money in the usual drawer if you need to buy groceries but you can buy a few snacks or sweets if you go. You look like a stick, you need more food in your body. I’m going to head to bed now because my flight is at 4 a.m. but before I go, do you want me to say anything to your grandma for you?” His mother questions him. 

Forcing himself to smile, Doc says, “Just say that I said hi and that I miss her.”

Even with the mask on, with the smile up, a tear escapes and falls down from Doc’s eye. 

His mother looks down at him with a sad smile. “Don’t worry Doc, she’ll be okay. Your uncle already told me that she seems to be already recovering. How about this, once summer comes, we will go to Germany for awhile. We can visit grandma, okay?”

“Yeah… that sounds good.” Doc mutters out.

Hugging Doc, his mother ruffles up his hair, making him scowl. With a small chuckle, she leaves to her bedroom after giving Doc a kiss to the cheek. 

Letting out a sigh, Doc goes to his room and washes up, taking a showever and brushing his teeth. Once done, he distracts himself with an hour of gaming before getting tired. The usual routine continues from there, sleeping for a few hours until waking from a nightmare. Crying and adding a few more slashes to his arm before washing up and getting ready for school. 

School would pass and was always a blur for Doc, but this week Ren was closer to Doc. This made Doc’s heart get warmer but he brushed off the observation as him going crazy.  _ Ren’s just worried, stop being weird. _ Doc scolded himself. Once school ends, there would be a gamble of whether or not Beef wanted to destress. Then he would go home and do homework, study, and play games. Eating was ignored, surviving throughout the day with nutrient bars he bought with the grocery money. This cycle continued until the end of the week. Friday ended the cycle and one would argue that it was horrible. Another would argue that it was the opposite, since Friday allowed for the cycle to finally end and evolve. 

On that Friday, it began like any other. 

Doc was walking to school, checking his phone from time to time to change songs. When scrolling through his playlist, a message pops up. It was from Etho, reading:  Go to Willow’s Brew Cafe after school today. Don’t make me wait long. Sent 7:16 a.m.

Throughout the rest of the school day, everything was normal. Although Doc was more stiff and jumpy, spacing out a lot. He was worrying about what was in store for him after school, what he would have to endure. Ren noticed Doc’s strange behavior and concern flooded him. He asked Doc several times if he was okay throughout the day but the same response would be given to him, “Yes, I’m okay.” before the topic was changed immediately. 

Soon enough, time passed quickly and within the next moment, Doc found himself standing in front of Willow Brew Cafe. The same cafe in which he had a mental breakdown in front of. Closing his eyes and swallowing down the memories that flashed through his mind, Doc forced his legs to move forward. Entering the building, Doc scans around searching for Etho. 

Etho is waiting on the far corner of the cafe, reading a book. Doc walks up to him and sits down in front, hands fidgeting under the table. 

“Took your time, hm?” Etho teased, looking up from the book. 

Instead of a verbal reply, Doc just shakes his head because his mouth had dried up from nervousness. Needless to say he was afraid of what was to come, what Etho wanted. Silence befell upon the two as Doc nervously waited, staring down onto the table, and Etho simply went back to reading. 

“Number 64, Etho!” A waiter called out behind the counter. 

Setting his book down, Etho inserted a bookmark and left to get what he ordered. When he came back, he held a drink and pushed it to Doc after he sat back down. 

Tasking off his mask, Etho gave Doc a sweet smile and said, “Got you some coffee, the bags under your eyes indicate you need it.”

Finding his voice, Doc stutters out, “I-I don’t need it… I’m fine, you can have it. You bought it yourself anyways…” 

The sweet smile still laid on Etho’s face but his eyes hardened, “Drink.”

Going a little pale, Doc nods and grabs the drink, “O-okay, thank you.” 

The coffee was hot but he could taste it, caramel macchiato, his favorite.  _ What… why? _ Doc questioned himself. It was once again silent between the two. Doc quietly drank his drink slowly, having mixed emotions of what to feel. He felt scared, terrified of Etho, but why did Etho buy him a drink? Why does he remember his favorite? Calamity struck within Doc, his mind in chaos. Etho on the other hand was calm and simply continued to read his book, humming softly with a sweet smile. 

The silence continued and soon enough, Doc had already finished drinking the coffee so he just sat while fidgeting with the paper cup. It felt like eternity until Etho finished his reading session, putting the book away in his backpack. In reality, it was only a few minutes. Doc looked up, wondering what was to happen now, what Etho was going to do. 

Etho set his elbows to the table, his hands meeting in the middle where it entangled. Leaning in slightly, Etho smirked and asked, “You know how you have irredeemable sins?”

Setting his gaze back down, Doc nodded. 

“Well I thought, since I know the horrors you’ve committed, I’m your only chance at anything.” Etho continued while reaching out his hand, lifting Doc’s head by the chin. He made his thumb caress Doc’s cheek and gave a smile. 

Jerking back, away from the hand, Doc stutters out, “Wh-What do you mean?”

The sweet smile was still plastered upon Etho’s face as he reached out once more, hand on Doc’s cheek this time. Placing his thumb over Doc’s lips, he answered, “Since I’m so nice, I will sacrifice myself to you. I’ll make you break even with your sins before it’s too late. In your simple terms, let’s be together.”

Shaking in fear, Doc whispered out, “Why?”

Humming, Etho caressed Doc’s cheek before replying, “Because I’m nice and care about you. So, what do you say?”

“No.” 

The sweet smile disappears from Etho’s face, eyes livid. Leaning back, away from Doc, Etho takes a deep breath. The sweet tone now gone, Etho spoke, “Excuse me? You should be grateful that I even asked, that I am even considering doing this. This is your only chance at a happy ending Doc.”

Shaking his head, Doc says, “No, I don’t want to be with you, never again. Please just leave me alone.” Doc’s eyes looked desperate, as if pleading the world for a miracle. 

Suddenly, Etho stands up and grabs Doc’s metal arm. Dragging the German outside of the cafe, Etho shoves Doc to the floor. Etho looks at Doc with furious eyes, “Last chance to change your mind. Is your answer still no?”

With a slight nod, Doc confirms, “M-my answer i-is still no.”

“Fine then, you asked for it.” Etho mutters out before grabbing Doc’s shirt collar. Pulling Doc up, Etho takes out a syringe from his vest pocket. Doc attempts to escape, trying to push Etho away. With a growl, Doc is slammed back down to the floor. He coughs roughly, eyes wide with fear and before he can react, Etho is injecting him with some forigen substance. 

Etho’s hand covers Doc’s mouth, making his screams muffled. A crowd is starting to form, but no one helps Doc. No one interferes with the event as Etho starts beating Doc up. The shock wears off and tears fall from Doc’s eye, still no one interferes as the crowd slowly becomes thicker with people. 

A smirk is upon Etho’s face as he takes a break from punching Doc. Leaning down to Doc’s ear, he whispers, “No one is even helping you, they don’t need to know you in order to understand that you are worthless.”

Doc weakly attempts to push Etho off him again but fails. Etho smacks the hands away and stands up, shouting, “Doesn’t this look familiar?” with his arms out. Doc does not reply, instead frantically looking around after sitting up. 

To an outsider, it looked like he was crazy. To Doc himself, he felt crazy. 

Hushed whispers went around in the forming crowd. Doc put his hands to his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. Displeased with this act, Etho repeatedly kicked Doc, shouting, “Open your eyes Doc! Look at me!”

Terrified, broken, watery eyes met Etho’s, furious and quite sadistic. A sweet smile crept up onto Etho’s face, “Was that so hard?”

Before Doc could reply, a shout came from the crowd. 

  
  


“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ETHO?!?!?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shhhh I didn't just disappear for several weeks, nope. :D
> 
> So... did this chapter clear anything up? Eh, prob not much-  
> hehe...   
> Don't we all just love Etho? <3
> 
> :)


	7. Chapter 6

Etho looked to the direction of the shout, “Ren? What are you doing here?”

Before Doc could hear Ren’s reply, before he could react, Etho’s foot was in his view. The bottom of the shoe slams Doc’s head back down, knocking him unconscious. 

Marching up to Etho, Ren shoves Etho away from Doc and punches him in the face. “I came here to get the keys to my house from my brother. But what about you? Why are you here beating Doc up to a pulp?!” He shouts while making sure he stood in the way so Etho could not access Doc. 

Looking around, Ren sneers at the crowd, “Go away, this has nothing to do with your pathetic lives! If you were too much of a coward to help someone from getting beat, then leave before I do the same to you! GO!” The crowd disperses, people hurriedly scurrying away in fear. Ren looks to the now empty crowd and mutters, “What is wrong with people?”

Turning back around, Ren looks back where Etho was, about to say, “Explain yourself.”

His brown eyes flickers in disappointment, Etho was nowhere to be seen, “That little… he fucking ran away?!” Ren exclaims in disbelief. 

Sighing, Ren looks down to where Doc lays unconscious. His eyes change from fury into concern, kneeling down to check his injuries. 

Ren’s brother, Jono, comes out of the cafe holding a cup of water. Pouring a little over some of the visible injuries, Jono says, “Sorry I wasn’t here, bathroom break. I can’t believe all of this happened within that small time frame… saw you running in so I got some water and waited for the crowd to disperse. What’s with this cafe and crowds?”

Letting out a hum in reply, Ren stands and enters the cafe, leaving Jono to continue tending the wounds. Looking around, he finds an empty table with abandoned bags. Muttering “Knew it.”, Ren grabs Doc’s bag but pauses when he notices the other bag in the opposite seat. Before he could reach out to grab the bag, a hand shoots out in front and grabs it. Ren whips his head around to see the culprit, Beef. 

“Beef?” Ren asks, confusion written all over his face. 

Giving Ren an apologetic smile, Beef says, “Oh sorry, didn’t mean to scare you? Etho asked me to grab this for him. Don’t worry, I’m also really confused on why he randomly abandoned his bag here and told me to fetch it for him. I’m not a dog…”, huffing out the last part. “Well anyways, let’s hang later, gotta go! Oh, don’t tell Jono that I’m going out the backdoor!” He says before bolting out the backdoor like promised. 

Still processing what just happened, Ren stood still for a minute, questioning the world. Shaking his head, Ren walks back out of the cafe where Jono was. Ren sits down and opens Doc’s bag, mumbling an apology to Doc as he searches the bag. After a while, he finds the key to Doc’s house and takes it out, neatly reorganizing Doc’s bag to its original state. 

“Let’s take him home, I have his address saved in my phone so I’ll give you the instructions while you drive. Is that okay? You won’t get fired from your job or something right?” Ren questions his brother. 

Jono shakes his head, “Nah, it’ll be fine. I can explain to the boss and she’ll probably be okay with it.”

With that settled, Jono and Ren carried Doc into their car and drove him home. Jono dropped Ren and Doc off and went back to the cafe since he still had his shift to finish. Using the key Ren found in Doc’s bag, Ren opens the door and awkwardly takes his and Doc’s shoes off. Afterwards, he carries Doc bridal style to his room. Once Doc was laid down and tucked nicely into his bed, Ren ran back to the front door to lock it. 

The technicalities all finished, Ren ran back upstairs to Doc’s room and slumped into the bean bag with a sigh. Closing his eyes, Ren muttered, “I’m tired… at least it’s Friday.” After a few minutes, he sighs and stands up. Walking around, Ren scans around for a first aid kit. Unable to find one, he gives up and slumps back down into the bean bag.  _ I don’t want to intrude even more and search through the house… I’ll ask when he wakes up. _ Ren tells himself. 

Ren looks around the room as he is able to relax and take in his surroundings slowly for once. His eyes stop at Doc’s desk. There is an acoustic guitar sitting upright, leaning against the wall and leg of the desk. Grinning, Ren grabs the guitar and brings it back to the bean bag. Sitting upright, he starts to hum and strum the guitar. Eventually, Ren sings softly to himself while playing the guitar as he waits for Doc to regain consciousness. 

\-------

_ Sirens could be heard, blaring through the streets as the sounds got louder. People were bustling around in a hurry within the mall, scurrying to leave the scene.  _

_ Two men stood, holding Beef’s mother as hostage but it looked as if they held no weapon, no guns. Doc had his gun pointed up, aimed at the person who is holding Beef’s mother captive.  _

_ How did this come to be? _

_ The group of friends were just shopping and goofing around, taking a break from life. How were they supposed to expect two men coming out of the blue, attempting to rob a store? How were they supposed to act? _

  
  


_ Etho and Beef were on one side of the store, debating which games they should get. Doc was on the opposite side, staring blankly at the gift cards. The other people of the friend group were also walking around the store, but Doc was not familiar with their identities. Contrary to Etho and Beef, Doc tended to fend for himself so besides the duo, he did not really know the other people in the group.  _

_ Beef’s mother was standing near Doc, keeping an eye on everyone. Doc was lost in thought, too busy trying to distract himself from thinking about what Etho did a few hours before.  _

_ “He kissed me… oh god he kissed me!” Doc mumbled to himself, covering his face with his hands.  _

_ Looking over to where Etho was at, Doc smiled. Then suddenly, the high ecstasy he was at, disappeared in an instant. Shouting broke out of nowhere and disaster struck. It seemed as if two men appeared out of nowhere, shouting at everyone in broken English, “MONEY GIVE US! HANDS OUT!” _

_ At once, everyone seemed to freeze and only moved slightly to see what the threat was. The two men stood in front of the counter, the cashier man knocked out cold. One wore practically all red, the other wore all black. It was as if they were ready for bloodshed. _

_ The guy wearing red grabbed Beef’s mother roughly, holding her captive. However it was strange, they had no weapon it seemed. No gun was visible, no knife was visible. However Doc saw in the corner of his eye, a gun placed behind the back of Beef’s mother. If the gun was triggered, it would kill her for sure.  _

_ With high alarm, Doc pulled out his gun and aimed it at the man holding Beef’s mother hostage. The hold was shaky, but Doc steadied the aim to the man’s head. Due to Doc’s parents being heavily rich, he was taught some self defense and how to use a gun since he was at a higher risk of being in danger. Nonetheless, Doc never expected to ever have to put use of the lessons that were taught to him.  _

_ Heavy with worry, Doc glanced at where Etho was, trying to make sure he was okay. Etho was holding back Beef, probably since he also noticed the hidden gun. Both locked eye contact and Etho gave Doc his signature sweet smile.  _

_ The man who was wearing black noticed this and pointed a gun at Etho, but the gun and his hand were hidden within his cloak. It looked strange since to someone else, his arm was randomly stretched out, pointing at Etho’s direction. Perhaps he was indicating for Etho to give the money first. No one could see the gun, no one noticed, but Doc. Alarmed, Doc’s aim to the red guy’s head faltered, but he regained his posture quickly.  _

_ The red clothed man took a step back and shouted, “Weapon down! No money, let us leave!” There seemed to be a thick Russian accent following those words. The guy wearing black looked at his partner in disbelief. Doc did not lower his gun, muttering to himself, “Not coordinated?” _

_ The men had guns aimed at Etho and Beef’s mother, Doc had his aim at one of the men. It was not looking great in Doc’s favour. The only hope, stall and wait for the police to arrive. The stance the three had obtained seemed to last for eternity, until the sirens could be heard. The men seemed to have woken up from a trance as they decided to take action.  _

_ The man wearing all black shouted to Doc, “Bring down weapon or dead!” _

_ Doc did not lower his weapon. Then, shouting came from his friends saying, “Kill him! Shoot! It’s self defense, shoot already! They have no weapon! What are you doing?!” _

_ The gun was about to be triggered as the pressure from the people around got to him. However, Doc stopped himself when the man wearing black spoke again.  _

_ “If you kill him, the boy and woman are dead! I’ll hunt down and kill your family, your friends, everyone and everything you love will be destroyed. Mark my words, I’ll make your life a living hell!” The man shouted.  _

_ What Doc did not realize soon enough was that he spoke it all in German, so no one else could understand. What were the chances that the man was German? What were the chances that a German and Russian would work together for whatever criminal mission they had together? What were the chances that Doc was German, knew German? What were the chances of such a coincidental situation. Only Xelqua can say.  _

_ The gun dropped down, Doc’s body shaking in fear as he took a step back, eyes wide. The Russian red man let go of Beef’s mother and pushed her forward. Both men started running to the window, getting ready to crash through the window and fall a two story drop.  _

_ Out of instinct, Doc took several quick steps forwards, as if to follow them and stop their escape. The red man noticed and turned around, gun now up and visible. Before one could blink, a loud bang rang through the mall. Beef’s mother was down, bleeding out quickly. Horrified, Doc followed his gut instincts and ran towards the duo, gun out.  _

_ Frantically, Doc aimed his gun up and shot seven times in a row. From the running, panting, and shaking, the bullets went all over the place.  _

_ 2 landed upon the Russian red man on the chest and stomach.  _

_ 1 landed upon the black clothed man on the shoulder. _

_ 4 landed into the window they were charged at. This helped weaken the glass and practically broke it for the two criminals.  _

_ In the end, the criminals escaped. Beef’s mother was taken to the hospital. Doc was shunned upon, blamed for such unfortunate results. Doc never carried a gun with him again.  _

_ Soon enough, Beef’s mother died. Everyone within the friend group began to hate Doc. He was called a murderer but was left alone for the most part. Beef hated him the most. However, Doc had attempted to redeem himself, explain his actions, but it failed due to Etho.  _

_ Etho had told the friend group of Doc’s sexual preference, males. Normally, this would have been fine to most of the group, but two factors made it the worst possible sin to ever have.  _

_ One: Ears _

_ In the heat of the moment, this fact made everything worse. A rumor would come out where the two criminals were gay for each other, resulting in Doc releasing them.  _

_ This was denied by Doc of course, trying to defend himself by saying, “How would I know?” _

_ Stupid mistake, for then it was answered by, “One of the guys said something in a different language but it seemed as if you understood. After they finished, you dropped the gun. It’s obvious he told you of their relationship then.” _

_ Too shocked by the whole situation, Doc was unable to reply, to refute such an answer.  _

_ After this, the rumor was told as if it was the truth. No one would believe otherwise, it was considered the real reasons why Doc let the criminals go.  _

_ Nothing else Doc could say would change their minds. At one point, Doc accepted it and eventually, forgot the real truth. The rumor became the truth, even to Doc himself.  _

  
  


_ Two: Eye _

_ Etho claimed that Doc assaulted him, confessing his feelings and getting aggressive after he denied Doc. It was claimed that Doc forced a kiss onto Etho and threatened him with his gun.  _

_ Needless to say, Doc was too shocked to retaliate, too shocked to argue.  _

_ Silence. _

_ The silence made it enough proof to the group that Doc was indeed the culprit of such actions.  _

  
  


_ Alone in his room, hands up buried within his hair. Tears fell and hit the floor, it felt as if a puddle of salty water could form from how much he was crying.  _

_ “Why? What did I do? I was trying to protect you… I didn’t think he would shoot her. I understand, I killed her. It’s all my fault… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry… please. He said he would kill you and her… right? I’m not going crazy right? He said that, he said he would kill you. He said he would kill auntie… am I going crazy? I heard that… I heard it correctly! Please… someone tell me they heard it too!” Doc spoke to himself in a frenzy. His hands began to claw at his ears, as if doing so would fix this hearing issue.  _

_ “No, I’m definitely going crazy. I didn’t assault you! You… I said… I confessed… I trusted you with my heart! You… you were to one to kiss me. I didn’t do anything! I didn’t… why? Why did you say that? Why would you… what did I do? I thought… Did you hate it? Was I just imagining things? It was all me? Nonononono… but you smiled afterwards… you held my hand… was it just me?! WHY?!?! WHAT DID I DO?!?! I’M NOT CRAZY, I’M NOT-I’m not crazy… why would you say that?!” Doc screamed to the world, but no one heard him. His parents were unfortunately off at another one of their business trips, leaving him alone to deal with whatever disaster that struck. Wanting to let out his anger, his confusion, his maniac feeling, Doc punched himself. Multiple times he punched his left eye, as if such action would let him see clearly.  _

  
  


_ In the end, Scars of deep scratches were left on both of Doc’s ears. His excuse? Tripped into a thick rose bush. The very few people who still cared about Doc were told that he tripped into a rose bush and had trouble getting out. No one but Doc knew the real reason why. _

_ Due to the punching, his left eye got significantly worse than his right, making Doc’s vision very crooked. One eye made everything clear while the other made everything very blurry, it made Doc a little dizzy. Nevertheless, he never said anything of it. He did it to himself, his parents should not have to pay for his mistake and get him prescriptions. No one noticed or questioned why Doc bought and kept painkillers in his room, why he had frequent headaches.  _

_ Everyone was either too busy, unavailable, or did not care to realize the sudden change within Doc. How unfortunate.  _

_ “What did I do to deserve this? Why do you all laugh… is this a joke? You say this is fun… but I’m not having fun… please stop… I’m sorry.” _

\-------

Doc woke up with a start, panting like crazy and eyes becoming watery. Tears were quick to fall as he sat up and looked around. He was on his bed, neatly tucked in.  _ When did I… what happened? _ Doc thought to himself as he struggled to breathe and take in oxygen. 

A hand startles Doc from his thoughts, rubbing his back and a voice telling him to breathe. Looking to his side, Doc sees Ren crouched down on the floor giving him a gentle smile. Behind him was the bean bag but his guitar was on it. 

“When-When did my guitar get there?” Doc struggled to say, panting heavily in between each word. 

“Shhhh, doesn’t matter right now. Cmon, deep breaths, in and out. Cmon, you can do it.” Ren encourages, using his free hand to gesture as he demonstrates. “Slowly, deep breath in, then hold, and let it out slowly.”

Nodding, Doc follows the instructions and after a while, he calms down. A minute goes by where Doc and Ren sit in silence, Doc simply breathing and collecting his thoughts while Ren just continues to rub circles onto his back. 

Suddenly, Doc moves to get out of the bed. The action startles Ren from his thoughts and he falls backwards, hitting his head to the floor. A small laugh escapes Doc as he asks, “You okay?” Ren nods and quickly stands up, blushing from embarrassment. Letting out another laugh, Doc continues to get out of his bed. Once standing, he winces from the pain, making Ren’s eyes flash with worry. 

“Hey, you should rest up some more. No need to push yourself.” Ren says, grabbing Doc’s arm to help steady him. 

Doc shakes his head, “I’m fine.”

Biting his lip, Ren stops himself from pestering further. “Alright then. Well you’re still hurt, mind showing me where the first aid kit is at? So you know, I can help you with your injuries.”

Giving a stiff nod, Doc grabs Ren’s hand and leads him downstairs into the kitchen. Opening a bottom cabinet, he takes out a red box with a white plus sign. They go to the living room and both sit down on the couch. Silently, Ren bandages and rubs medicine onto Doc. Occasionally, he would instruct Doc to position himself in a specific way or Doc would hiss in pain from the rubbing alcohol. 

“I think we are done… any other injuries you feel?” Ren asks, packing up the materials back into the first aid kit. 

Shaking his head, Doc replies with, “No, that’s all of em.”

Humming, Ren looks back at Doc and sighs. Grabbing the other’s hand, Ren says, “Doc, what is going on? I’m sorry but I’m just so confused… like, why was Etho hitting you? Just… what happened? I’m so confused it’s killing me.”

Dropping his head, Doc stares at his lap. After a few seconds, he looks up at Ren and quietly replies with, “It’s nothing to worry about. Things just happened.”

_ What happened to opening up to him? Liar. _ Doc scolded himself. 

His heart clenches when Ren’s eyes flash with hurt. Ren’s grip on Doc’s hand loosens and he mutters, “Why can’t you tell me? I can’t help you like this…”

_ Just tell him, your life cannot get any worse than this. Besides- _ Doc thinks until is interrupted by a sudden pain in his chest. 

Doc clutches his chest and grits his teeth, not wanting to scream since there was Ren present and no pillow to muffle the sounds. Ren’s eyes widen, and rushes over to Doc’s side. 

“Doc! What’s wrong?!” Ren frantically asks. An overwhelming sense of uselessness flows through him, _ What do I do?!?! _

Forcing himself to swallow his screams, Doc mutters out, “My room, the black drawer on my desk. Open it and there will be a green pill bottle, give it to me please.” 

Nodding, Ren rushes up and follows Doc’s instructions. Finding the mentioned green bottle, he grabs it and rushes back down. He trips on the last few steps on the stairs, landing on his back. Ignoring the now bruised back, Ren stands up and continues to run over to Doc. Along the way, he grabs a cup of water from the kitchen. 

Once back in the living room, Ren hands Doc the pill bottle and water. Doc quickly whispers out, “Thank you.” before shoving two pills into his mouth and swallowing it with the help of the water. Immediately after, Doc sighs in relief and tears begin to fall from his eyes. The pain was already beginning to dissipate slowly. 

“Huh? Why… why am I crying?” Doc says as he wipes his eyes. 

Ren sits down next to Doc and lets out a breath of relief. “What in the world was that?” He asks.

Closing his eyes, Doc replies, “Long story.”

“I have all day. I have time… Doc please.” Ren pleads, turning his body to face Doc. Then he whispers, “I can’t help you, fix you if you don’t let me…”

Suddenly Doc stands up and steps back, away from Ren. Hands now curled into fists, Doc snarls, “I don’t… I don’t need fixing! I-I’m not a robot or a-a machine! I don’t need some-some FIXING! I’M FINE, I’M NOT CRAZY! I’M NOT…” Tears stream down Doc’s face in a frenzy, blurring Doc’s vision. 

Shocked from the sudden outburst, Ren tries to explain, “Wait no, Doc, I didn’t mean-”

Interrupting him, Doc continues, “I’M NOT CRAZY! I’m not crazy… I’m fine, I’m normal…” He begins to claw at his ears, “I’m not crazy… right?”

Standing up, Ren grabs Doc’s wrist gently to stop him from hurting himself further. “Look at me, Doc, look at me.” He says gently. 

Once eye contact is achieved, Ren smiles and says, “You aren’t crazy. You, Doc, are not crazy. Listen, I didn’t mean it like that, I just want to help you be happy. Your smiles aren’t genuine anymore, your laughs are forced, you aren’t happy. When I said fix you, I meant that I want to fix your fake smiles to be real.”

More tears went down Doc’s face, but instead, it was tears of relief. The first sentence practically only registered into Doc’s brain. He did not realize Ren called him out for faking his happiness in front of the hermits. All he cared about was that someone confirmed it, that he was not crazy. Before Ren could blink, Doc was hugging him, silently crying into his shoulder. 

“Thank you.” Doc whispers into Ren’s shirt. 

Hugging back, Ren whispers back, “No problem. I mean it Doc, you aren’t crazy. I want to help you in any way I can. Like I said, you mean a lot to me.”

Removing himself from the embrace, Doc looks up at Ren with a confused expression, “Why do you care about me so much? It’s not you’ve known me for long or anything, why do you care so much anyway?”

_ If I confess, if he feels the same way, will this help? I mean… it would be easier to explain why I care so damn much.Would he let me help him? I just… need to test something first…  _ Ren converses with himself before answering. 

“To be fair, it’s what friends are for. No matter how long I’ve known you, if you are my friend, I care. But I will say, there is technically another reason why I’m constantly pestering you with my worry and presence.” Ren says before winking at the last sentence. 

Doc’s face flushes red, “W-what is that reason? I-if you don’t mind saying.”  _ What was that? Why would… to me? Habe ich mir das vorgestellt? _

The blush that covered Doc’s face determined Ren’s next moves. Chuckling, Ren places a hand gently to Doc’s cheek, the other hand to his waist while leaning in slowly. 

Ren whispers to Doc, “I like you, more than a friend.” before leaning in more and closing the gap between their lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! <3
> 
> Btw  
> Habe ich mir das vorgestellt? = Did I imagine that?  
> Shhh German speakers, I used Google translate but I really wanted to input that there-
> 
> I was too scared to translate "If you kill him, the boy and woman are dead! I’ll hunt down and kill your family, your friends, everyone and everything you love will be destroyed. Mark my words, I’ll make your life a living hell!" into actual German so oof, but I think it's a nice touch. Because ya know, we get to understand Doc's craziness. ;)
> 
> Oh wait sorry, he no crazy boi.


	8. Chapter 7 Sneak Peak

_ Cold. So very cold. Tremendously cold no one could survive in such weather. Even with the thickest and warmest of clothing. Too cold for a fire, for lava, for the sun.  _

“LEAVE ME ALONE!!”

_ Warm. So very warm. Hot? No… not hot, not unbearable. Just perfect… perfect warmth… such innocent heart pumping in purity. Too pure and warm for the moon.  _

“You are my world, don’t forget that.”

_ Envy. So much envy. It builds and builds, stacks upon each layer, so full of envy it overwhelms the galaxy. Jealousy becomes rich within the air.  _

“This isn’t fair… this isn’t FAIR AT ALL!!”

_ The Warmth thaws the Cold. But the boy only knows the Cold. The Warmth becomes Hot. It hurts the Cold. Do not Touch, for then, Burn. _

“You dare approach me?”

_ Entranced. Dancing at the edge of a cliff. What will push them off the shaking bridge? _

“We are done.”

_ Ashes. Vaporized. Burning Cold. Hatred burns deep inside the Cold frivolous heart that no longer beats. _

\-------

Etho writhes in anger, in frustration. He had not expected such… obstacles. No matter, they can be taken care of. 

He smirks and begins to softly laugh, “You made me do this Doc, it's YOUR FAULT I'm doing this!”

Hand on face, he sighs before giggling. The giggling slowly transforms into full on laughter. His eyes filled with madness as he stares down toward his phone. 

“I’m in your system Doc… oh Doc, you should be more cautious. Haven’t you learned anything? This went oh so PERFECTLY!!”

The house echoed Etho's laughter, no one else to hear it. 

_ Red. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!! Sorry for the sudden disappearance spanning several months! I will warn that this will continue to probably have long periods of time in-between each chapter. Once the summer comes around and if this is not done by then, updates should not be long anymore. Dw, I will not take another 6 month break lol
> 
> Anyhow, here is a sneak peak of chapter 7 since I didn't know when I'll be ready to post the full chapter but I felt bad-
> 
> When I post chapter 7, this will be deleted so... be ready I guess? If I were to give an approximate, it should be out by either this weekend or the next weekend, depends. 
> 
> Bye for now and thanks for the patience!


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